Turning 21
Written and Delivered by Brendan Jones O'Connor
In front of the Wisconsin State Capitol
Many people when asked on their birthdays claim they don't really feel any different. Today is my birthday, and I do in fact feel different. Today, I turn 21, and I feel like a man. Forget 18, 21 i the real age of adulthood. When I turned 18 three years ago, I voted in the presidential election, wore suits to school, was waiting to hear back from the two colleges I applied to- I got into one- the top movie at the box office was High School Musical 3, and "Whatever You Like" by T.I. was the number-one hit son. I was so naive then.
In only 3 short years, I've lived the bulk of my college experience, gone vegan, protested like a hippie, learned conversational Dutch, written 2 books, produced umpteen Youtube videos, and met many, man strange and wonderful people, all of this before reaching this cusp of adulthood.
And while I feel more like a man, more like a mature adult, transitioning to a time of life without the fallback of my parent's checkbook or the daily regiment of homework, I feel like the further I've progressed, the closer I've returned to place I was at 18. That is, the state of mind when the future looked so mysterious, so open, and yet so hopeful.
But above all else, I have learned a lesson today. As a child, I thought friendship was something that only existed in youth, and as soon as one entered maturity, the relationships between adults became mere formalities. I am so very glad to report that this is most certainly not the case. For everyone of you, I value the experiences, the characters, the personalities that have shaped me as much as I hope that I may have shaped you. These years, these times, they matter, they actually matter, and I could not be any more glad than to have shared it with each one of you.
Written and Delivered by Brendan Jones O'Connor
In front of the Wisconsin State Capitol
Many people when asked on their birthdays claim they don't really feel any different. Today is my birthday, and I do in fact feel different. Today, I turn 21, and I feel like a man. Forget 18, 21 i the real age of adulthood. When I turned 18 three years ago, I voted in the presidential election, wore suits to school, was waiting to hear back from the two colleges I applied to- I got into one- the top movie at the box office was High School Musical 3, and "Whatever You Like" by T.I. was the number-one hit son. I was so naive then.
In only 3 short years, I've lived the bulk of my college experience, gone vegan, protested like a hippie, learned conversational Dutch, written 2 books, produced umpteen Youtube videos, and met many, man strange and wonderful people, all of this before reaching this cusp of adulthood.
And while I feel more like a man, more like a mature adult, transitioning to a time of life without the fallback of my parent's checkbook or the daily regiment of homework, I feel like the further I've progressed, the closer I've returned to place I was at 18. That is, the state of mind when the future looked so mysterious, so open, and yet so hopeful.
But above all else, I have learned a lesson today. As a child, I thought friendship was something that only existed in youth, and as soon as one entered maturity, the relationships between adults became mere formalities. I am so very glad to report that this is most certainly not the case. For everyone of you, I value the experiences, the characters, the personalities that have shaped me as much as I hope that I may have shaped you. These years, these times, they matter, they actually matter, and I could not be any more glad than to have shared it with each one of you.
