Coming of Age

When we were talking in class this week about what age someone thinks of as being an adult, I was surprised to hear that there wasn't a certain age that people are considered an adult (there wasn't even a certain decade). People said from anywhere from 13-35 years. To me it was almost upsetting to hear that and think that to some people I wont be considered an adult for a VERY long time. I personally said the age of 22 because that is the age (for most people) when you first get out of college and get a job and become financially independent. I was curious to what an older persons thoughts on the issues were and I figured that this person would say an older age because people put everyone else around them in perspective with their own age (so a teenager would be much younger). When I asked my mom, she surprised me by saying that she agrees that for her, 22 is the time people "come of age". Although I do put 22 as the age a person becomes an adult, I definitely agree with the people that say it can also be an event that causes this change (for example if both your parents died or you have a child...). While reflecting on this activity, I realized that a lot of the time I become upset if my parents try to put a lot of restrictions on me because I think I'm almost a grown-up. I realize now what a stupid claim it is because I said myself that I won't be an adult until I'm 22. On the other hand, I feel that in order to make the transition more smooth, rights and privileges should be given steadily in order to avoid bad decisions or becoming overwhelmed.