Rocket Science: A Guide to Launching

Life is not about leaving the launchpad but instead learning to fly mentally. To me, growing-up is more a path of self-discovery than a physical destination or specific accomplishment. So much of our adolescence is spent preparing to launch, to leave the nest, to become independent adults. For those of us who do not fit within this cultural directive though, it can sometimes be difficult to feel like successful members of society.

From a very young age, most of us are taught, bit by bit, to fend for ourselves. We learn to sit up, to walk, to talk, to feed ourselves, to tie our shoes, to drive a car, so on and so forth—launch preparations. We typically tend to see this as the natural progression of life, each step built on the previous, all leading to total self-reliance. This process may work for many people but it does not necessarily account for everyone. There is definitely value in developing certain life skills, however, it is different for each of us.

Early on in my childhood, I met many of the assumed milestones only to loose much of my physical ability; this change certainly did not make me any less of a person. Just because I do not meet our culture's strict expectations does not mean my existence is less meaningful. Unfortunately, we still live in a society where the phrase "lives with their parents" has an automatically negative connotation and success has a dollar value. I may not have launched in the traditional sense, so to speak, but I have still launched mentally. After all, not all astronauts get to go to space.

Finding oneself is no easy task though, especially for those who live at home. It was, no doubt, challenging to watch most of my friends take off. Another tough aspect was transitioning into adulthood with no concrete change in responsibility or living situation. Occasionally, it was a little tricky for my parents to remember that I was, in fact, an adult. We both had to shift our perceptions of just what it means to grow up.

Becoming an adult is difficult for anyone but it happens whether we want it to or not. I had to become my own person with my own priorities and interests. I have learned to expand my horizons intellectually instead of geographically. We do not have to visit the stars to understand their beauty. Whether we live where we grew up or somewhere that feels like a distant galaxy, we are all part of this brilliant expedition known as life.