It’s what separates us from cartoons, framed pictures and Will Smith. Yes, it’s the process known as aging. Unlike that sailboat painting in your dentist’s office ‘ and the Fresh Prince ‘ you will grow older. It’s a reality we all have to face.

Of course there’s a grieving period where you may want to take it out on that sailboat painting just taunting you behind its glass cover. You may have gotten three cavities filled, your wisdom teeth removed and a root canal over the past 10 years, but that god-damned boat still hasn’t moved.

Your anger may be justified, but try to remember that the sailboat and Will Smith mean you no harm.

Aging is just something we all have to come to terms with. It didn’t always seem like something to ‘come to terms with’ though. Do you remember when it was fun?

As a kid you looked forward to each upcoming birthday with excitement and curiosity. Getting older was up there with winning the spelling bee and being picked first for kickball.

But this excitement begins to die down when you leave the refuge of the teen years, as I have now recently done, into the wild unknown, the trying 20s or whatever name helps you cope. Adults, however, seem to think we should still be happy to get older, at least up until we hit the quarter-century mark. And I wonder, what changes during your 20s?

I think a lot of fault can be placed on the fact that too many events are overemphasized in the teenage years, making it seem like there’s less excitement to seek outside of them. Example? Well, sweet 16 parties! What exactly are we celebrating?

It seems that shows like MTV’s ‘My Super Sweet 16’ all have an agenda to allow youths to feel more self-important than they are, effectively making everyone else feel that they have passed their prime.

This isn’t the way it should be. As we get older, we acquire a stronger sense of self, a wider knowledge base and intimate friendships, all of which should collectively make us happier, more well-adjusted individuals with a stronger purpose.

And although we may think we’re losing a lot (like time, energy, hair or elasticity), we cannot forget that we’re also losing our na√ÉØvet√É©, anxieties about the future and bell-bottoms from seventh grade. We’re upgrading ourselves, with confidence, a career path and probably leggings ‘ weather permitting.

So basically, I think we’ve got it all wrong. The party isn’t over after Lil Wayne sings to you at the most kick-ass party of the year and you’re carried away outside of the crowded dance floor where you see your new car and your friends exclaim, ‘Oh my God! I can’t believe the most spoiled person I know has gotten something she asked for!’

Life goes on after you turn 16, and even 20. We may not all be able to be forever fresh like Will Smith, but maybe we can all relate to something else, like cheese. Yeah, cheese.

As we age we continually become sharper, and though we’re not protected from aging, we become better with time, more complete and full of flavor.