I'm A Big Kid Now!
3So my birthday was this weekend and after my original plans fell through, various circumstances (including me forgetting it was coming up so soon) prevented me from making new plans. So I thought it would be a good opportunity to be productive. When a friend called and asked how I was celebrating, I told her I was taking apart my lawnmower to clean it and get it running before the neighbor kids get lost in the wilderness surrounding my house. She said, "welcome to adulthood."
This sparked a few entertaining conversations about what it means to be a "grown up" and I thought I'd throw the topic out here to see what you all think. For me, discovering a few years back that tire swings now make me nauseous was a disappointing marker. The time I posted a picture on facebook and a friend complimented my silverware pattern was another sign. Of course, all this also means no one could tell me I couldn't have leftover chocolate cake for breakfast this morning.
full comic at XKCD
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I think my first major marker for "grown up" was when I weighed a decision to do something risky against the potential for my insurance rates to rise. When did that even become a factor?!?!?
@Thumperchick haha! Just last week I told someone I couldn't do something until I get insurance again
I realized it happened when I started criticizing today's music: "When I was your age, the music was so much better."
I've become my dad.
@Mac454 When I started working with teens I also started hearing my mom's voice come out of my mouth more often than I care to admit
Every time I drive past a Dairy Queen and don't stop is an "I'm an adult now" moment.
Last night my girlfriend and I ate dessert first.
Growing older is mandatory, but growing up is optional.
"What's my age again?"
In the words of Jimmy Buffett "I'm growing older but not up"
I have had several "adult" moments most recently when I go my first safety deposit box. I'm 32 and I haven't used it yet either. LOL
@Foxborn Is it just so you can put in your will "Cousin Bill gets the contents of my safety deposit box"? I feel like you should put a note in it that just says "SUCKER!!!!"
@chellemonkey No, you leave them a weird mish mash of objects and a note, "you know what to do."
@Thumperchick yes. this needs to happen. Although then we would need to monitor the box and make sure the owner dies and that goes back to the free room and board from using a garrote thing
Trying to stay up late on a Friday night and realizing that I couldn't anymore was probably my first red flag of being an adult. I could watch the sun come up back in my salad days, but now I'm dead by about 11:30. Also happy birthday @Kleineleh!
@Moose I find that by the time Friday night rolls around I'm worn out from the week and go to bed early...
@Moose Thank you! And yeah, I miss those days. I could close down a bar and the parking lot outside and not miss a beat at work the next day. Now I can still watch the sunrise but nothing useful is going to happen after that.
In a couple of weeks I'm going to be two adults old. I don't think that makes me a grown-up though. Probably as long as I need to use a game to keep myself in line, I will not be a grown-up.
@katylava oh no! What have you introduced me to?!
@chellemonkey something that gets me to actually do things, instead of playing games on my ipad and thinking about doing things :D
@katylava Might have to try that
@katylava That is awesome! I wish I'd known about that when I was teaching life skills. I still might have to try it out just for myself...
My first "OMG, I am an adult" moment was having to buy toilet paper. Isn't that stuff just supposed to appear right when you need it? The second one was when my step-dad came to my apartment and walked on all of my furniture, jumped on my bed and couch, and took all of the glasses out of my cabinet and left them on the counter. I told him to grow up and stop tearing up my things. I was pissed. But the real epiphany of adulthood for me was when my daughter was about 3 years old. All of my friends and I were supposed to go out one night that my daughter was going to her father's house. She got sick and my ex didn't want to "get it" so he didn't pick her up. I was okay with missing a night out to stay home with my girl, even though she was faking it.
@pyxientx that step dad thing is brilliant. I hope I remember to do that one day to my kids
eating whipped cream directly from the can and nobody yelling at you.
@Kidsandliz you were not sneaky enough previously
@chellemonkey I suppose you are right but I had a stay at home mom who had antenna ears for the fridge opening
The first time a really short person called me Grandma.
When you stop biting into the apple and start cutting it into slices.