I was standing at the grocery store, squeezing oranges, when it hit me. I'm not a child anymore. I don't feel any different, but somehow I know that I am grown up now. Perhaps its my fiancee, or my job, or my financial troubles. Perhaps its the way I have to take care of my own problems, or the way I take care of other people's problems. Maybe its the fact that I'm standing in a grocery store by myself, or the way I smoke in public places, or can order a beer at a restaurant. I'm no longer the kid I once was. I no longer hang out by the creek with my friend. I no longer ride my bike in circles around town. No longer do I go to the convenience store and steal candy bars. I am no longer Batman or Spiderman or the fifth Ninja Turtle. I can still do all those things, but they're not the same anymore. They have become boring and sometimes a little silly. But I still see with the same eyes, and feel with the same hands. I'm taller and a little smarter, but not in any way a different person. ---------------