21 expectations

What people expect when you are 21:

1. You cannot consider yourself as a teen anymore. No twen-teen crap.

2. You can become a father and it wouldn’t look too early.

3. You will be asked about your job. Thus, people will be wondering why you are still in school.

4. People can physically hurt you and people wouldn’t feel bad. They will expect you to fight back. You either become the violent guy or the victim.

5. Asking money from other people is not cute anymore. And this time, you really have to pay them back. They WILL want you to pay them back.

6. People will start taking you seriously. Everything you say can be taken against you. Youth is no longer an excuse to make mistakes.

7. You couldn’t puke after drinking too much. That’s kids’ stuff.

8. When you take risks, you take full responsibility over everything.

9. People will no longer question your driving skills. 21 is an age people can
trust with big responsibilities.

10. You must at least know something about troubleshooting cars. People who get stuck in the middle of the road will be asking you basic questions about their cars, and would expect an answer.

11. You cannot lie. When you lie to people, they will be offended differently. As I’ve said earlier, people will take you very seriously, even your statements. So be very careful as they won’t take lies for an answer.

12. You are expected to reach your full physical growth. When we hear are 21, we expect someone tall, athletic and professional.

13. You are to wear semi-formal clothes. People will start making fun of you when they know you are 21, and yet you still wear Spongebob. He may be your favorite character, but he’d have to stay in your undergarments this time.

14. It’s not anymore a good sight when you go out with high school girls. It may have looked cool when you were 20, but not when you’re 21.

15. You are expected to know how to cook at least five dishes. When people crash your pad, they will expect good food.

16. People would want to hear stories from you. Being 21, you must have gotten through a lot of things. People expect sex stories, life-changing experiences, how different you were in college and so on.

17. You must know what to do during an emergency situation. During an earthquake, kids and women will come to you and expect you to protect them with all your might.

18. You must have a steady relationship, with experience.

19. People expect you to have a car.

20. You should already have at least one decent hobby. It can be a collection of toys that will remind you of your childhood days, racing and racecars, your own personal bar at home, etc. People will start attaching stuff to your name, like “Paul the wine guy”, or “Carl, the one with the 50 dogs”.

21. Lastly, people expect you to throw a great party on your birthday.

What I expect when I turn 21:

1. A DSLR please (ang tagal na neto Lord!)

2. A set of plain shirts with different colors, so that I could wear them for a week (--new image! Wahaha)

3. A handy bag (dahil nakakapagod bitbitin ang backpack, laging iniinspeksyon sa mall)

4. Leather shoes which aren’t black (di pa ako nagkakaroon neto, school shoes lang talaga. Gusto ko lang maexperience)

5. A perfume that doesn’t smell like a hand-me-down from your dad (nanghihinayang kasi akong gamitin yung mahal kong pabango everyday. Pero gusto kong maging mabango everyday…AMP)

6. A collection of Andy Stanley’s books (galing niya sumulat minsan)

7. A copy of the book and documentary-film by Tammy Kling and John Spencer Ellis—The Compass ( autobiography ko. Sabi kasi, “What drives your inner compass?”. Astig!)

8. A car (is it too much to ask?)

9. Pants that suit my age (hindi ako mahilig sa damit talaga. Gusto ko lang.)

10. A Mac (Dahil sa choosy na Final Cut)

11. A good phone with good camera quality (Dahil ang daming moments na gutso kong kuhanan pero wala akong dalang camera)

12. A new hobby (bukod sa editing, pwede din sana golf?)

13. Wind cigarettes (dahil gagawin ko ang lahat para lang matigil sa pagyoyosi, at eto ang mukahng effective. (www.windcigarettes.multiply.com)

14. A two way ticket to Bangkok (dahil happy place yon at miss ko na talaga doon!)

15. A tour package anywhere in the Philippines for one (matanda na ako, pabayaan ninyo akong mapag-isa!)

16. An everyday buddy (kasama sa lahat ng ginagawa ko, as in lahat. Isang tawag lang, anjan na.)

17. My own kitchen (dahil chef ako)

18. A new iPod (yung may LCD, kahit hindi colored. Nakaka-ewan ang Shuffle, di mo alam ang kasunod na kanta!)

19. The blue slippers with translucent strap at Havs (bibili din kami ni Cams neto, pag sale!)

20. No surprises (every year)

21. To be lean and healthy (dahil sa edad natin ngayon, mahirap na)

**Bakit sa mga naisip ko sa taas, pakiramdam ko eh sobrang tanda ko na!? Baka na-enjoy ko lang talaga ang pagiging 20. =)

QUOTE FROM THE COMPASS:

“Sometimes, you must let go of the life you had planned in order to make room for the life ahead of you.”