moo

Someone said when they were a teenager, they couldn't imagine being in their twenties. I think in this modern era that translates into this self-assumption that one must be suicidal.

But if you actually think about it, teenagerhood -> adulthood is really the first massive scale life transition of its kind. Of course you can't imagine what's on the other side, you've never had any practical life experience with it before.

I had no conception of what my life after my teens would be like. I was terrified of it. My dad was the same -- he couldn't imagine his 20s or beyond, so he assumed he'd die somehow before then. There seemed to be no other option, to me or to him. But neither of us were suicidal, and life just... kind of came along in time.

Now that I'm 22 this is what I want every teenager to know. It's totally normal to have no idea what life after your teens will look like. It doesn't mean something is wrong with you or that something bad is coming for you. It doesn't mean you have something to panic about and it doesn't mean you are suicidal or depressive by default based solely on that experience.