Versus: Being a Teenager vs. Being an Adult

Lately I've had a few conversations with teenagers about their excitement to be done with high school and how much they look forward to being out of school. In the past I've also had conversations with adults and how much they miss their teenage years, what they often refer to as their glory days. So which one's better? Based on my experience, here's what I've found.

Teenager
My teenage years began in Chicago (2.8 million people) and ended in Lindsborg, KS (3,000 people) with a 4 year stint in Salina, KS (45,000 people). Here are some of my memories from those 7 years.

• Great friends (several in jr. high, high school, and college), many of which I still keep in contact with.
  
• Sports opportunities. I played for a great basketball team and coach in jr. high. High school and college football provided me with a chance to play for two quality programs and coaches. Summer baseball and college baseball enabled me to play at some great ball fields, under great coaches, with some great guys.
  
• I had a few good jobs during my teenage years. Delivered pizza during high school summers. Worked at the ball diamonds during a couple summers in high school and college. Also spent a summer in Estes Park as a camp counselor.
• Learning experiences. Some lessons were learned through more difficult situations than others.
  
• School work. I hated school. Reading and homework were at the bottom of my "favorite things to do" list. My grades were good, just didn't enjoy the work.
• Peer pressure. This comes to the forefront of my mind when conversations about my teen years come up. It's the reason I was so excited to be done with high school. Being that I tried my best to hold to a moral standard that I felt Christians were supposed to live by, I had my share of "friends" who wanted to test my moral strength. It was draining.

Adulthood
It's been a pretty wild ride. Here's the last 7 years.

• Divorce. Great way to start adulthood right?
• First, second, and third job. First - account executive for radio station. Second - sales manager for fitness club. Third - Youth Minister.
• Moving. I've moved eight times since college. Manhattan, KS - Springfield, IL - Salina, Ks (inlaws) - Salina, KS (Roach St.) - Salina, KS (Cheyenne St.) - Salina, KS (Foxtail) - McPherson, KS - Salina, KS (Prescott) - Salina, KS (7th).
• Married to Melissa. Hooray, the best part of my adult life! November 3, 2006.
  
• Baby Owen. What a blessing! May 11, 2008
• Master's Degree. I thought school was over, but God had other plans.
  
• No more peer pressure. Quite possibly one of the best parts of adulthood.
  
• Found my calling. Ministry is where I'm meant to be. Don't know if it's for sure what I'll do the rest of my life, but I love it right now.
• Learning experiences. Never stop learning.

This was actually a lot more difficult than I thought it would be. When I first started writing I was convinced that adulthood is much better than the teenage years. Writing these things out made me realize that the teen years weren't quite as bad as I remember them. My winner? Being an adult (hard to beat being a husband and a dad).