I used to think maturity was overrated.

but what really defines being mature?
Because I think I am more mature than I was a few years ago.
I think its defined by experience and knowledge and knowing right from wrong and making decisions and being happy and learning about yourself and from your mistakes and learning how to care for someone else and taking responsibiliy, but without taking things too seriously.
How would you define it?

I'm trying to just live. Just take things as they come, without falling behind.
My step sister suanne is like that, I believe. I've only spent a couple days with her, since she lives in florida and I'm in new york. But I look up to her a lot. She has four kids, and she handles them perfectly. When I was there with my sister we drove to a beach (all 7 of us) and she had the windows down and the radio on and her hair let loose and she was smiling. And now that I think about it, that was a really happy moment for me. Thinking about how great it was to feel so free right then, and relaxed and happy. And how I wished I could stay there forever. In the florida weather, with her attitude influencing me, and it seemed like everyone could feel that happiness radiating from her. And yes, she has made mistakes in her life. But she has found a way to be happy, and she knows what she values, and I aspire to be like that, to have that attitude about life. And my stepdad was telling me after we left her house how she spends her free time on the computer, and talking to her friends, instead of making her house super clean and perfect, and hovering her children. And how he was not proud to speak of her mistakes. Well the last part I could understand, but I think that he does not need to explain her mistakes to everyone, just so he can say he is not proud. I am proud of her for finding herself, and being brave, and strong. And I think that if she doesnt feel like cleaning her house, then she doesnt have to. It looked fine to me, and maybe the imperfection was comfortable. And I think she is an amazing mother. And I hope to be like her. Radiant and happy and living in the moment.

I'm almost failing spanish. Most of my teachers are... Well they really suck, for lack of a better term. And I'm normally good in spanish. I aced it all last year. And now my teacher is telling me I have less than a 70 in my class. ... She really is a bitch. I'm sorry, but its true. I have never met a teacher that I disliked as much as this. The whole point of having a teacher is so she can teach. A lot of the teachers I have this year expect us to just learn the material ourselves. And my math teacher actually told the class that "in college you will not have classes like this, you have to do most of the learning yourself". Well, helloo this is 10th grade geometry and I'm not in college, so how about you start teaching me. And my Bio teacher basically had a temper tantrum in class today. I'm talking like, screaming, storming out of the room, slamming doors..
And now I have a shitload of homework and projects and studying to do, and I havent started any of it. And I think I'm procrastinating right now. And I'm about to get really stressed, I can tell. It seems like it will never end.