Twenty-Four

Twenty four oceans
Twenty four skies
Twenty four failures
Twenty four tries
Twenty four finds me
In twenty-fourth place
Twenty four drop outs
At the end of the day
Life is not what I thought it was
Twenty four hours ago

Still I'm singing Spirit take me up in arms with You
And I'm not who I thought I was twenty four hours ago
Still I'm singing Spirit take me up in arms with You

Twenty four reasons to admit that I'm wrong
With all my excuses still twenty four strong

See I'm not copping out not copping out not copping out
When You're raising the dead in me
Oh, oh I am the second (wo)man
Oh, oh I am the second (wo)man now
Oh, oh I am the second (wo)man now

And You're raising these twenty four voices
With twenty four hearts
With all of my symphonies
In twenty four parts
But I wan to be one today
Centered and true

I'm singing Spirit take me up in arms with You
You're raising the dead in me
Oh, oh I am the second (wo)man
Oh, oh I am the second (wo)man now
Oh, oh I am the second (wo)man now
And You're raising the dead in me

I want to see miracles, see the world change
Wrestled the angel, for more than a name
For more than a feeling
For more than a cause
I'm singing Spirit take me up in arms with You
And You're raising the dead in me
Twenty four voices
With twenty four hearts
With all of my symphonies
In twenty four parts.
I'm not copping out. Not copping out. Not copping out.

"I wrote this song near the end of my 24th year on this planet. Wherever we run, wherever the sun finds us when he rises, we remain stuck with ourselves. That can be overwhelming. Sometimes I feel like my soul is polluted with politicians, each with a different point of view. With all 24 of them in disagreement, each voice is yelling to be heard. And so I am divided against myself. I feel that I am a hypocrite until I am one, when all of the yelling inside of me dies down. I've heard that the truth will set you free. That's what I'm living for: freedom of spirit. I find unity and peace in none of the diversions that this world offers. But I've seen glimpses of truth and that's where I want to run" - Jon Foreman

Today I turn 24. Also, today George Burns would have been 115. That's right, I have the same birthday as "God".

In one of my history courses at FIU we were discussing what age one truly becomes an adult in the US in the current era.  It was agreed, despite how the law may read, that that age was certainly not 18.  At YouthCare (where I now work) we provide services in various capacities for "Youth" the setting I work in is ages 12-17 but YouthCare provides services for older youth that accept clients from 18-21 and they can remain in program up to the age of 24. Coincidentally that's the age we agreed upon in class. Many factors go into that number. Some factors suggested were marital status, sexual activity, whether or not one had children and depending on the culture one arises from and the time period we are discussing these are all reasonable factors but then as a contently celibate woman (for now, I still need to find an attractive, intelligent Irishman to marry) in our current era, not only am I some what of a weirdo, I wouldn't qualify for adulthood.

Consider however that I haven't lived with my parents (much less within 240 miles of them) for five and a half years. I have a college degree, I now pay my own bills, my job provides my health care as well as a 401k plan and because I don't pay my own car insurance I don't drive.  By the way, car insurance just got cheaper, most insurance companies drop their rates when a person turns 24, some still hold out until they turn 25.  I hurt my back a few months ago and it still aches from time to time, I have a cane and a mug that reads "Sexy Grandma" I prefer hymns to contemporary music at church and like liturgy, my roommate (who is older than me) calls me "Grandma Maggie." I even broke my first bone a few weeks ago in a losing battle with a bookcase (my poor little pinkie toe) which I got x-rayed using my health plan.  I make plans, appointments, and go to meetings.

Taking into account all those things...

I just thought I'd let you know that you shouldn't let all of that fool you. I have no intention whatsoever of growing up. Even if I make it to 115 and I think George Burns would have approved.

http://xkcd.com/150/