The countdown begins...

As I sit at my desk this morning, doing work here and there, the date on my computer and desk calendar reads May 22. What may be just another Tuesday to you, is a tad more important to me. You see, it's now less than one month to June 19, my 25th birthday. Those who have reached this milestone understand its importance. 25 is the quarter-century mark. It's halfway to 50. It's a point when your life should be looked at from a different perspective. It's time to really grow up.

For a young black man, the statistics say as I approach 25 I'm supposed to be either locked up or dead. Well, I've never been arrested and I ain't dead yet. To say I'm lucky would be an understatement. For 24 years and 11 months, I've been extremely blessed and am thankful for each passing day. Every once in a while, I wipe the dust off my old yearbook and take a look at the pictures of my former classmates. At last count, at least 10 out of a class of about 200 weren't around anymore. I easily think about how I could've have been one of them. So much left to be done, so much work unfinished.

With age, comes more responsibility and the opportunity to form your own identity. You have the opportunity to finally "grow up" so to speak. But in many cases, your parents or whoever you were raised may have a problem letting go. It's not a bad thing, but it can be hard for the people who have cared and provided for you the first 25 years, to realize that you're grow and on your own. So while growing up can be rough on you, letting go can be equally as hard for your family. What I've said to my parents and others is simple. You've raised me a certain way and laid the foundation for my life. Now, as I approach 25, if I mess up, it's on me. If, at 25, I forget all the values and morals my family instilled in me, there's nobody to blame but myself.

So, as I prepare for 25, I'm ready for the new responsibilites. I'm prepared to become a more mature person. To "grow up". I understand that when one hits "mid-20s" their outlook on life changes. Playtime is over. I've been doing a lot of thinking about where I am at 24 and what 25 will bring. Looking back and in talking with friends, I already see how my life has changed from 22 and 23. What 25 will bring, is yet to be seen.