Editor's note: Barry Courter has a 25-year-old son who is a college graduate and a 20-year-old daughter who is a sophomore in college.
Q. Dad, I'll be 21 next week. Will my world change very much?
A. Yes and no. You start running out of excuses the older you get. You can't play the young-and-dumb card anymore, for example. Obviously, it means you can legally drink and get into some places you couldn't before and, while most of them are fun places, they also come with the potential for really bad things to happen. Take it slow and go with people with you trust. Happy birthday. I love you.