Even as I type this, my time is ebbing away. Although, I'm still 24 hours from turning 21 biologically, the world stubbornly refuses to see my point so here I sit, in front of a glaring screen trying to figure out what it means to be 21.

People tell me I'm becoming "legal" but somehow, this confuses me. It sounds as if all these years, I was illegal which sounds horribly depressing. I know it means that I can enter pubs, drink, buy cigarettes (not too sure about this one) and have sex if I want to but is this all? Just imagine all the energy, money and long lectures my parents put into raising me, they surely are not waiting for all these and Jesus definitely did not sacrifice himself for me to become legal in that sense. Maybe "legal" should be replaced with "do-whatever-you-deem-is-right-and-be-responsible-for-it" and yes, its pretty long but at least it offers us, 21-year-olds-to-be a clearer picture of action with consequence and not just action which is pretty tempting.

Then there are those who say you'll be given the "golden key" and by this, I take it they mean "freedom" which like "legal" is a vague term everyone would love to get lost in. Seriously, "freedom" in Asian communities should be replaced with "freedom***" and the asterisks refer to "terms and conditions apply" of course. Sometimes, this get on my nerves when I think about it but these days, if I actually ponder hard enough, I just feel grateful and nothing else. I shudder to think of how wild I'd run without my parents' and God's "terms and conditions".

The last category is just a whole mumble-jumble of "You're-so-old-already"s, "Time-to -get-boyfriend"s and "Big-girl-already"s. Hey, we've been ageing since birth and the reason to tell someone they're big and old in their 21-st year stupefies me. As for the "Time-to-get-boyfriend"s, I just find it weird and wrong. Praise God such a thing doesn't exist. Imagine a global mass boyfriend or girlfriend seeking when the worldwide 20-year-old population turns 21 and you'll have an insight into the nightmare I'm talking about. Though I must say, thinking of what to say when aunties pinch my cheek and say that is quite a nightmare by itself.

Right, I am now exhausted trying to recall "interesting" remarks thrown at me and with telling friends I'm not biologically 21 yet. Well, what I gather from all my musings is I guess being 21 means knowing who you are in God, what your purpose is and your freedom as well as responsibility to fulfill it and yes, this will register as soon as I come out of self-denial.