Vanquishing pigtails and pimples, many young people crossover from being an adolescent to being an adult – from sweet 16 to sultry 21.
Armed with a shiny key, either from Soni’s or Hi-Way Motors (depending on your social standing), they start the wondrous journey. Turning the big 21 is a feeling unlike any other -your heart races with anticipation, your mind whirls with birthday preparations and in some cases your gut wrenches with the ever-rising costs of necessities needed for the big day, i.e. braai goodies and booze.
The months turn into weeks, the weeks turn into days and before you know it it is time. A time like no other as you step into the big bad world of bills and blues.
Turning 21 comes with many advantages and privileges (so to speak) and the key, regardless of whether it makes voom-voom or is set in glass, opens up many doors.
Doors such as finding a tongue to voice your opinion against your mother – now I’m not encouraging disrespect – but sometimes giving one’s opinion can be highly satisfying.
For example: when your mother yells at you ‘to do this and that and no buts… and why are you are still sitting on your butt?’ Now your response can be ‘Actually, mum, it is not a butt … I am sitting on my coccyx’ and then make a dash for the hills.
Chance are that upon your return you will not get that shoe hiding that such a response once resulted in.
Dating becomes legal – all of a sudden dad will no longer brandish a rifle if he sees a guy next to you.
Now snogging and holding hands in the presence of parents is still a death wish but at least the age old threat of getting turpentine in certain parts falls away. Curfews become non-existent and all of a sudden you won’t be told to shut up during family meetings.
The above mentioned is little victories in the fight against being recognised as an adult and not a reckless two-year-old.
But with great power comes great responsibility – it is not all rosy when suddenly you wake up and realise it is downhill henceforth.
While many young souls celebrate their lives right until their last breath, i.e. thirsty thirties, feisty forties and flirty fifties, not everyone is as flamboyant.
On the night of your 21st it is tradition to take 21 shots of an alcoholic beverage in quick succession. After that night the only shots that follow are Vitamin D shots, Vitamin B shots and rabies shots for when life bites you in the behind.
But turning 21 is inevitable, so if you can’t beat it join it. When life throws lemons at you grab the tequila and down it, alternatively mums masala and salt will do too.
