Heraclitus once said that the only constant is change. Life changes and so does everything that surrounds it. Children grow taller, new cafés pop up, old buildings are torn down to make way for trendier ones. I could name an endless list of the things that are continuously changing around us everyday.

No brownie points for guessing what tops the list: humans. As we progress with society, we learn to adapt to change and in turn, change to adapt. Being a sociology major, I find it incredible how society has an immense power to dictate the way we behave. In a way, we aim to please. We learn what actions are acceptable from, first of all our parents, secondly our friends, whereas teachers and other strangers we interact with come in third and so on. And as we grow older, certain behaviours, by society's standards, ought to be left for kids.

Don't you agree that the term 'mature' is socialised too?

At five, my parents told me that children my age should be off training wheels and that I should learn to ride a two-wheeled bicycle on my own without such assistance.

And I did.

At twelve, my friends started rolling their skirts. One layer. Two layers. Above the knees.

I followed suit.

At fourteen, my Asian values of simplicity and diligence were buried by the influence of alcohol and parties when I attended international school.

Family was what reminded me of me.

At sixteen, I learnt that heartbreak felt like being hung upside down mid air until what remained was just a void of nothingness.

And I promised to never let myself feel that way again.

At nineteen, I probably made more friends at the start of university than I'd ever have.

But it made me cherish the ones who have always been there for me from the start even more.

I can't speak for everyone else, but I know I've changed.

Learning to ride a bicycle at five, finding a rebellious side of myself at twelve, differentiating good from bad at fourteen, learning to protect the most fragile human organ after sixteen, constantly reminding myself to cherish those who matter at nineteen -- these experiences pinched the moulds that in turn shaped me into who I am at this present moment (touché). 

The old me was... a timid follower whose only solution to mountainous problems would be tears, and more tears. I was like Jell-O, placed in a mould and set to freeze according to expectations. I prayed to the higher power (despite being an atheist) when things were awry. I believed less in myself wielding the absolute power to change what lay ahead. 

I'm turning twenty one this year, and the journey leading up to this will probably be tumultuous and fraught with different situations. And in this process, more change will take place.

If things don't go through constant change, we would all be where we first began.