Dorothy Brush "Random Thoughts" Published Sept. 29, 2004

Just when do we become adults?

At what age does adulthood begin? Last spring, the University of Chicago released the results of a study done by their National Opinion Research Center. About 1,400 American adults were asked that question based on seven stages of transition. They were asked their opinion on the age for marriage, having children, being financially independent, full time employment, finishing school, not living with parents and being able to support a family. According to the answers the consensus was adulthood begins at age 26.

Doesn't that seem pretty old to be considered an adult? The dictionary defines an adult as one who has attained maturity or legal age. So what is maturity? Back to the dictionary and we find the meaning is fully grown, complete and finished in natural growth either mental or physical. Maturity and adult go hand-in-hand. You can't have one without the other.

Most of us consider a person mature when childhood is left behind. To reach that point a mature person has passed through several stages. In early years, the social climate we live in influences our values and shapes the methods used to achieve our goals. Every person is an individual with their own abilities and interests and for some there is a catch-up stage to acquire the knowledge they missed in childhood.

With maturity a person should be able to make wise choices and carry out changes that are needed. Education should be a continuous process and includes learning from experience. It takes years for all these stages to merge and as one wise person said, "It takes a long time to bring excellence to maturity." Oliver Wendell Homes expressed it another way in a speech he made before a Massachusetts Medical Society in 1860. He said, "Knowledge and timber shouldn't be much used till they are seasoned."

On a lighter note different ages might be described as youth looks ahead, old age looks back and middle age looks tired. That is what maturity does for a person!

In August, USA Today printed parts of two essays written by a 20-year-old and a 24-year-old on the upcoming presidential election. Both expressed their strong convictions that they have the power to determine who will be president. They both insisted young people are not apathetic and do care. Further they feel they can change the face of politics in this country because the power is in their hands. If adulthood begins at age 26 as many adults believe, should the power be in their hands?

Sara Teasdale was a gifted U.S. poet and Pulitzer prize winner. She died at the young age of 49. From the body of work she produced in that short life I have no doubt she reached adulthood long before 26. She wrote on age in her poem "Wisdom."

When I can look Life in the eyes,
Grown calm and very coldly wise,
Life will have given me the Truth,
And taken in exchange - my youth.

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Dorothy Copus Brush is a Fairfield Glade resident and Crossville Chronicle staffwriter whose column is published each Wednesday.