"I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best." - Marilyn Monroe
There are lots of big mile-markers on the road to growing up. And of course, as your moms and dads and teachers tell you, well all make it there in our own time, at our own pace.
Not that it's a race or anything, but sometimes when your the last in your crew to experience something, it can make you feel kinda left out, maybe even embarrassed. Whether it's having your first job, getting your period, going to camp away from home, or - ouch - maybe you still have your membership to the "NBK Club" (I think the name for it makes it seems that much worse). It might not seem like a big deal at all, till your at a sleepover and everyone's gushing about their first BFs or the first time they used a tampon. Sure, even if it's something kinda gross, it can make you feel like you've got nothing to share. Or, gulp, is there something wrong with you? Why are you so behind?
And it can go the other way, too - being the first for some things can make you feel like an outsider. But you've got options. You can just make something up - "Oh I know, my first kiss was amazing!" But sooner or later, that fib will probably catch up with ya. Some girls, when they feel left behind, will try to go out and do something to make themselves feel or look older, like dating an older guy or drawing on extra liner and lip gloss. But that's just pretend. It won't really make you feel better. Or you can just try to blend into the background, and say nothing at all. Maybe nobody will really even notice.
Okay, so none of those options are really that awesome. Believe me, I've seen them all play out, and they don't work. So here's option #4: Own it. Own your own story. Now, you don't need to go out and buy an NBK Club t-shirt. But you need to be, at least with yourself, okay with where you're at. It will be a relief, and it will make that first whatever feel okay, because you will know that in your story, it came at just the right time.
