Chapter 9 starts with the initiation into early adulthood. Most cultures have their own ways of initiating or announcing early adulthood. For instance, in my culture when a girl turns 15 years old, a traditional announcement is made known as a Quinceanera. A Quinceanera is a formal introduction to womanhood. In other words, it’s a way of letting the community know that she is ready to get married and ready to have children. I had a Quinceanera when I was 15 and it was a wedding like party. The cost was around $5000.00. Now that I am older, I would have preferred a new car. Other forms of initiations are bat mitzvah, Confirmations, and Sweet Sixteens. Physical developments are also part of coming into early adulthood. Both males and females reach their peak during early adulthood. Females reach their growing peak by the age of 18. Males reach their growing peak by the age of 20. The brain still continues to grow during this stage. Early adulthood is a stage where you are in your prime physically. The lifestyle that one has can have an impact negatively or positively. “Good health is clearly related to influences such as genetics, a factor that is beyond a person’s control.” P.211. Diet and nutrition are one of the positive ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I try to main a healthy lifestyle by working out and eating right. I like to do the stairs at Swallow Cliff. I try to go at least 3 times a week. I’ve been going off and on for 2 years. Every time I return, I have to start over. Some negatives of young adulthood are that people start drinking alcohol and smoking tobacco. “Despite education efforts showing the association of alcohol use and driving fatalities, violent crimes, birth defects, and health problems, binge drinking (defined as 5 or more drinks in a row for men and 4 or more women) among young adults remains at a high level.” P.213.
Chapter 10 talks about middle adulthood. I am currently living that stage. “Changes in physical appearance are usually visible in a person 30’s and 40’s and become more apparent in the 50’s.” p.233. I’m noticing the physical changes because when I do the stairs, I feel slower and am finding it harder to lose weight. This is a period in which concern for one’s health starts to increase. The future is more health related due to more firsthand experiences with illness and deaths. I believe this to be true because some of my conversations with my fellow friends are about doctor appointments, funerals or of someone we know that has been diagnosed with some type of disease.
Levinson’s middle adulthood is explained in 5 stages. The first stage is the settling down a stage and it starts at the age of 33. Next is the mid-life transition and it begins at the age of 40. Some might interpret this stage as the mid-life crisis. Levinson describes this period as the bridge between the early and middle adulthood. “During this mid-life transition, people question their past life decision and accomplishments and reevaluate where they are going.” P. 243-244. The third stage is entering middle adulthood and it's between 45-50. The fourth stage is known as the age 50 transition and it’s between 50-55 years old. The final stage is culmination of middle adulthood and it’s between 55-60. These are the stages that I currently have to look forward to.
In the Hispanic culture, the coming of age "party" is a big deal. I was a tom boy growing up and I was terrified that my parents would force me to sit in a puffy neon dress in a room of people just staring at me. I remember that they asked my opinion on the matter, i knew we didn't have the money to get me a car (which I wanted badly but couldn't drive it for a few more years). I settled with a BBQ party with close friends, but I agree that this tradition is important. You are mentally preparing yourself for a new stage of your life, with this comes a great amount of responsibilities and priorities. I read an article that indicated the lack of these traditions might be a cause in teenagers not taking adulthood seriously. The lack of mental preparation is a disadvantage in equipping them through this important stage in their life. They are in a constant state of change and these traditions or initiations are focused on identifying and explaining what it is to become an adult. With out these tradition many face these unknown changes without an outside support.
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