21 is a significant number.

In cards, it's blackjack; it wins you the game. In the States, it's the legal age for drinking alcohol. When my mother was 21 years old, she gave birth to me. When I was 21 years old, I lost my virginity.

21 has an air of finality to it, as though it were the complete end to childhood and innocence. Not only can you drive and vote; you can drink and gamble. You're wrapping up the last of your college years, perhaps moving out on your own and getting a job in the "real world". 21 is a number children mark in their mental calendar as a deadline to have already done certain things before they embark on their real journey in life.

Take it from a late bloomer. Don't let numbers be your milestones; let events mark the significant moments of your life. Turn 21 at your own pace, and don't do anything you're not mentally or emotionally ready for just because you're a certain age.

The only time you should let the number 21 spur you on to do something is when you're playing cards, and that's when you either hold or yell "Blackjack!"