(Not) Grown and/or Mature

I have been guilty,quite guilty to be honest, of referring myself to be "Mature" and "Grown". I have frequently heard friends, family, and complete strangers reference themselves at "Mature" and "Grown". I think that some people get the two confused, not realizing that you can be one or the other, both, or none at all. I believe that maturity is measured in the handling of business. I always felt as though, maturity levels were best detected in the reaction to live's obstacles and occurences. For instance, the high school era may have easily found me in some he said, she said garbage. Nowadays, I avoid that shit like the plague. I've seen people several years, if not decades, my senior facilitate and thrive in environments of bad mouthing. I consider those people to be immature. As far as the "Grown" thing goes, I consider that to be reflective of one's independence. For instance, if you got your own shit and don't rely on anyone 100% (we all have our moments when we need somebody to lean on.....lean on me, when you're....) to make it day to day, you are grown in my opinion. I have a nephew that's embarking on the momentous occasion of turning 18. He swears up and down that he's grown and mature. He feels like that birthday will be the icing on the cake. I tell him time and time again that maturity and being "grown" have nothing to do with age. He doesn't believe me. I think I was just as naive.

But in the words of Brother Langston:

Mother to Son
Well, son, I'll tell you:Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
It's had tacks in it,And splinters,And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor --Bare.
But all the timeI'se been a-climbin' on,
And reachin' landin's,And turnin' corners,And sometimes goin' in the dark
Where there ain't been no light.
So boy, don't you turn back.
Don't you set down on the steps
'Cause you finds it's kinder hard.
Don't you fall now --For I'se still goin', honey,I'se still climbin',
And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.

He'll learn, just as I did that with each step up that stair, you're inching closer and closer to being a man.