Privileges worth the wait

Age comes with privileges -- and responsibilities. \nThe government has set certain age limits for certain things for a reason. And it's just more fun to wait until it's actually legal for you to do these things, like vote and drink alcohol. Both the privileges and the responsibilities are worth the wait.\nWhen a young adult turns 18, he or she is granted the right to vote, purchase cigarettes or lottery tickets and is considered an adult in terms of legal responsibilities. Most people under 18 would love to be 18 to have those new privileges, and those 18 and above would probably enjoy not having the legal responsibilities of being an adult.\nIn less than five days, I will be 21 and will finally gain the right to purchase, drink and own alcohol as well as visit establishments that sell alcohol. When that day arrives, I will be surrounded by friends and perhaps family, and we'll have a great time.\nBut that day will not be the first time I've tasted an alcoholic beverage. Beyond going to the United Kingdom, where the drinking age is 18, I've been to many parties where alcohol was served, and friends have bought alcohol for me. The one thing that I've never done is pose as being older than I am.\nThough I've been served alcohol in bars before, I've never shown a fake ID. Many friends and even those who are no longer friends have told me to get a fake ID, so I'll stop complaining and just go out with them. To me, the reasons not to go out and get a fake ID are many.\nAccording to the Indiana Code, being caught with a fake ID is a class C infraction resulting in fines. It is also a Class C infraction to have a fake ID on your person, even if you never used it. Using a fake ID can result in the loss of your driver's license for up to one year, regardless if the driver's license was used when trying to obtain alcohol. Making fake ID's is a Class C misdemeanor and is punishable by up to 60 days in prison and a $500 fine. Beyond that, individuals may increase their punishment on a circumstantial basis.\nRegardless of the legal responsibilities, it is also an embarrassment to get caught with a fake, especially because they cost so much money. You not only lose the use of something expensive that was purchased, but also possibly legal rights when you're of age. I think of a lot better ways to spend my money than on a beer (and the fine) for $103.\nI think having to be 21 to go to bars, buy or drink alcohol is ludicrous. What's the difference between a 21-year-old and a 20-year-old, or even an 18-year-old? \nBut, because I will soon be the magic age of 21, I have new respect for the law and for my personal dignity.\nThere is another reason I've not ventured in to buying a fake ID. It's the same reason that I had a bar mitzvah at 13 and not at 10, why I graduated high school and had commencement when I did and why I didn't get a fake ID so I could vote in 1996. There's something exciting about waiting and letting the occasion happen in its natural course.\nIf I'd been going to the bars for three years already, why would my 21st birthday be special at all? All birthdays are special, but the 21st, much like the 18th, is special because it marks the day we accept a new responsibility and privilege into our lives.\nI look forward to that day and the newness of it. But perhaps I am a traditionalist. After all, it's just another day.