What exactly does growing up mean? There are many answers to this one question, depending on who we are. But to me, growing up means knowing when something is right, and knowing when something is wrong. This also means knowing when and how to do something the right way. I had to learn this the hard way. =) But another thing about growing up, is learning how to deal with problems the right way, and the first time. When we think about all of this, what one word comes to mind? Responsibility. We all know we need responsibility; but most of us don’t use it. Myself included. But when we do not use it, consequences make themselves known... I think we have all have had some bad consequences in our lives. I know I have. =) But the more consequences we have and the worse they are, the more we can learn to stop making those decisions. But when we do use it; we can get a lot more out of life, especially when the adults around us see we have responsibility, they usually trust us more. When adults around us trust us we have more freedom, meaning we need even more responsibility. Like my dad always says “With more freedom comes more responsibility”.