Fifteen-year-old Olympians. Seventeen-year-old Grammy nominees. Twelve-year-old NASA interns. These people absolutely demolish any excuse that age is an obstacle to fame, success or excellence. While your average 16-year-old Falcon spends their time stressing over extracurriculars, maintaining grades and possibly playing a sport, other teenagers across the world are reaching a level of productivity so high it leaves the rest of us disgruntled and bewildered at how these phenoms managed to find the time.
Watching the Olympics and Grammys was a lot of fun until I saw kids my age and younger on the slopes and stage. The viewing turned into a bitter affair, where I sat on my couch with arms crossed, thinking, “I could do that.” Of course, I would laugh snootily behind my hand as the 15-year-old halfpipe snowboarder slightly wobbled after landing her frontside 1440° jump — pathetic, don’t you think? (With “pathetic,” I’m referring to the wobble, definitely not my couch-bound laughter.)
When I start to panic about being the same age Olivia Rodrigo was when she wrote “Sour,” I rack my brain, going through childhood memories, to think of the time I could have better utilized.
Of course! Christmas, 2009, my second one. I have no memory of it and my family had already gotten to see a cute baby in holiday clothes the year before. Plus, it is time we stop dragging on the festivities for the whole day- if done efficiently, Christmas could be a 30-minute ordeal. This particular day was such a missed opportunity to find a label, get signed, schedule a studio session and release a chart-topping album! Or at least audition for a baby commercial that would be sure to catch the eyes of Disney Channel cast directors hungry for new exploi- I mean stars. Ooh, then I could be a child actor turned “serious” actor who, in reality, is constantly having to denounce their “Disney” brand that they just can’t shake. Is that not every artist’s dream?
Why was I climbing this tree in 2011 when I could have been at my desk studying differential equations? Sure, it is the middle of summer in this picture, but some worthy sacrifices have to be made to get hired at NASA before reaching middle school. If “The Lorax” taught me anything, it is that touching grass can wait when the chance of success is dangling in front of you.
This last one from 2013 is a step in the right direction. At least I’m training for something! But recreational soccer, really? I needed to leave those halftime orange slices and post-game snacks behind and start practicing with some serious intention. I mean, the form is a dead giveaway of mediocrity — my head’s down, planted left foot is nowhere to be seen and the right arm is off doing its own thing. If I had started spending all my time at the field and gym as a 5 year old, who knows where I would be now? Goodbye Green Supremes (our team name the year this picture was taken) and hello United States National team.
As I reflect on my early days, I am disappointed. I would trade family holidays, quality time outdoors and character-building team sports for premature success in a heartbeat. No matter the years it would take away from my childhood, I would be a star.
