I found myself writing one night, partly because I was thinking of Jeesh (hellooo, Jeesh) and trying to explain what's good and bad about being and becoming an adult.
Some of my musings, both trivial and more serious, follow; feel free to contribute anything that comes to mind for yourself.
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Adulthood is doing things because you know that if you do not, no one else will.
Adulthood is- not the end of feeling invincible, because few of us really do- but the recognition of our mortality in those little plaguing discomforts and symptoms that afflict us today.
Adulthood is being able to stay up late, drink, smoke, have wild and indiscriminate sex, eat too much, spend too much, and have no one tell us to ease off or go to bed or behave ourselves. Adulthood is also getting up for work the next day too tired to function well, getting hangovers, coughing up phlegm, seeing our doctors about symptoms we’d be embarrassed to tell our grandmothers about, heartburn, diarrhea, chewing our nails about debt, and feeling lousy- and wondering how stupid we have to be to have done this to ourselves again.
Adulthood is the embarassment at how thrilled you realize you are at getting a new kitchen applicance or new landscaping at your home or a car with better gas mileage, cargo space, or passenger space (and not a faster engine, a more powerful stereo...)
Adulthood is realizing that being bored is better than being cold or hungry or in the dark.
Adulthood is knowing that, sometimes, getting away with it is too high a price to pay.
Adulthood is knowing that “because I say so” means something.
[ January 15, 2009, 05:42 AM: Message edited by: Sterling ]
Posted by MightyCow (Member # 9253) on :
Adulthood is realizing that your parents really WERE right.
Adulthood is realizing that you'll have exactly the same discussions with your children one day.
Posted by Traceria (Member # 11820) on :
Adulthood is realizing that free time is a precious commodity.
Adulthood is admitting that peace is often more important than victory.
Posted by Occasional (Member # 5860) on :
Adulthood is realizing there is no freedom.
Adulthood is finding out rebellion burns bridges that might not be mended.
Adulthood is watching the clock of time click another minute, hour, day, year, decade and realizing life is short.
Adulthood is finding out only losers don't grow up.
Adulthood is when dreams are realized, but more likely dashed to pieces.
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
The difference between being a child and being an adult is that adults don't points for potential.
As a kid, you can coast for a long time on what you could do. Adults actually have to do something to get praise - as an adult, hoping for credit for potential or talent you do nothing with is just sad.
Posted by Tresopax (Member # 1063) on :
Adulthood is having more experience. Sometimes that experiences allows adults to better understand things that they could not have understood when they were younger. Other times that experience distorts their viewpoint, so they become confused or no longer understand the things they did when they were younger.
Posted by Sean Monahan (Member # 9334) on :
Adulthood is walking past the candy dish and automatically grabbing a whole handful - and realizing afterwards that you really only want one.
Posted by advice for robots (Member # 2544) on :
Adulthood is the recognition that time is a factor in wisdom.
Adulthood is the acceptance that you have to be patient.
Adulthood is the realization that onions really do taste good.
Adulthood is when you no longer care who's in the in crowd and what those people think about you.
Posted by Sterling (Member # 8096) on :
Adulthood means there's probably at least one thing that you enjoy that you just don't do very often any more.
Posted by Juxtapose (Member # 8837) on :
quote:Adulthood is the realization that onions really do taste good.
QFT.
Posted by Tara (Member # 10030) on :
I'm a college student. Legally, I'm an adult, but I sure don't feel like one yet.
Posted by James Tiberius Kirk (Member # 2832) on :
(Didn't know Jeesh was still around.)
Adulthood is knowing that the back of the bus isn't as cool as it once was.
Adulthood is realizing that "'til the day I die" may not be that long...
--j_k
Posted by Samprimary (Member # 8561) on :
Where I come from, adulthood means 'uh oh, it broke'
— me
Posted by Eduardo_Sauron (Member # 5827) on :
Where I come from, adult hood means "uh oh, I'm broke!" ;-)
Posted by Sterling (Member # 8096) on :
quote:Originally posted by James Tiberius Kirk: (Didn't know Jeesh was still around.)
I haven't heard from her in quite some time, actually. But it was an [earlier] exchange with her that caused my mulling.
Posted by erosomniac (Member # 6834) on :
Am I the only adult that disagrees with most--in fact, nearly all--of this list?
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Just proves something about you. Posted by erosomniac (Member # 6834) on :
What does it say about you that you provided exactly the response I was waiting for? Posted by Samprimary (Member # 8561) on :
quote:Originally posted by MightyCow: Adulthood is realizing that your parents really WERE right.
Uh oh. I turned into an adult before I hit puberty.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
quote:Originally posted by erosomniac: What does it say about you that you provided exactly the response I was waiting for?
That I know a cue when I see one?
(I was pretty sure that was the response you were trying to revoke. I hate to disappoint.)
Posted by erosomniac (Member # 6834) on :
quote:Originally posted by rivka:
quote:Originally posted by erosomniac: What does it say about you that you provided exactly the response I was waiting for?
That I know a cue when I see one?
(I was pretty sure that was the response you were trying to revoke. I hate to disappoint.)
Oh, rivka. We need to dance. Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Do we now?
(Also, I meant provoke.)
Posted by Tatiana (Member # 6776) on :
Adulthood is parenthood, in a whole lot of ways I never realized until I became a parent. Posted by Mr. Y (Member # 11590) on :
Mind if I tag in?
You might also have meant evoke.
Posted by AvidReader (Member # 6007) on :
Adulthood is a series of small crises occasionally punctuated by disaster. I never imagined I'd be so grateful for days where nothing was going wrong and the most exciting thing happening was ordering some Chinese and watching Bones reruns.
Adulthood is expensive.
But sometimes, adulthood is knowing just what you want out of life and giving it everything you've got. For me, that makes up for all the rest of it. Posted by Traceria (Member # 11820) on :
quote:Originally posted by advice for robots: Adulthood is the realization that onions really do taste good.
Posted by Tresopax (Member # 1063) on :
quote:Am I the only adult that disagrees with most--in fact, nearly all--of this list?
No, I'd agree - most of these are not true. Or, more accurately, most of these may be true for the person who posted them, but aren't true for everyone. There's plenty of adults who care about the in crowd, or would rather be cold than bored, or have dreams that aren't in pieces, or believe in freedom, or that don't like onions.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
quote:Originally posted by Mr. Y: Mind if I tag in?
You might also have meant evoke.
Good point.
Posted by scifibum (Member # 7625) on :
Perhaps "adulthood sometimes includes" would be more accurate than "adulthood is." But that's just awkward.
Posted by scifibum (Member # 7625) on :
quote:erosomniac: Am I the only adult that disagrees with most--in fact, nearly all--of this list?
quote:rivka: Just proves something about you.
(etc., revoke, provoke, evoke)
"Naw, you ain't."
(cowpoke)
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
O_o
Posted by Shigosei (Member # 3831) on :
Adulthood means that you have to be the person who limits the number of cookies you can have.
Posted by ambyr (Member # 7616) on :
Adulthood is being able to make my own choices--and my own evaluation of their consequences.
Adulthood is acknowledging that sometimes there -is- no good choice.
Adulthood is valuing the right to make those choices anyway.
Posted by Tatiana (Member # 6776) on :
Adulthood is having to use your own money to pay for boring things like toothpaste and toilet paper.
Posted by Darth_Mauve (Member # 4709) on :
Adulthood is saying no to chocolate cake for breakfast.
Adulthood is blaming yourself for your mistakes, and fixing them.
Adulthood is when you begin parenting yourself and not looking for others to do it for you.
I don't know what is the bigger shame--those few who have to be adults too soon, or those many and many who never reach adulthood no matter how old they grow.
Posted by Tara (Member # 10030) on :
quote:Originally posted by Darth_Mauve:
I don't know what is the bigger shame--those few who have to be adults too soon, or those many and many who never reach adulthood no matter how old they grow.
The second one.
Posted by T:man (Member # 11614) on :
quote:Originally posted by Tatiana: Adulthood is having to use your own money to pay for boring things like toothpaste and toilet paper.
Hee hee hee.....
Posted by Sterling (Member # 8096) on :
quote:Originally posted by erosomniac: Am I the only adult that disagrees with most--in fact, nearly all--of this list?
Your privelige, of course. I do think there's a lot of things here that ring true or familiar to a lot of people, though.
Posted by Samprimary (Member # 8561) on :
quote:Originally posted by Darth_Mauve: Adulthood is saying no to chocolate cake for breakfast.
what what wait what
Posted by Sean Monahan (Member # 9334) on :
quote:Originally posted by Samprimary:
quote:Originally posted by Darth_Mauve: Adulthood is saying no to chocolate cake for breakfast.
what what wait what
Yeah, actually in response to this, I was going to say:
Adulthood is being able to eat chocolate cake for breakfast without anyone's permission.
...but maybe that's actually Adolescence.
Posted by AvidReader (Member # 6007) on :
As a kid, I always got to eat choclate cake for breakfast after my birthday until the cake was gone. I really feel no temptation for cake for breakfast. Hot Pockets are another story entirely. Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
Cold pizza is a glorious breakfast.
I'd choose it over chocolate cake every day of the week and twice on Sunday.
Posted by The Rabbit (Member # 671) on :
Adulthood means that you must bare the full responsibility for the consequences of your actions. Adulthood means recognizing that your actions impact on other people. Adulthood means you routinely forgo the things you want and even need, for the benefit of others.
Posted by The Rabbit (Member # 671) on :
If you're an adult, being mistaken for being older or considered "mature for your age" is not considered a compliment.
If you want to be an adult, you probably aren't.
[ January 20, 2009, 07:18 AM: Message edited by: The Rabbit ]
Posted by Danzig (Member # 4704) on :
Adulthood is considering other people even when you have the right to be selfish.
Adulthood is not an age; it is a state of mind and an attitude.
On the lighter side, adulthood is saying you am going to get extremely drunk after work, but stopping after two beers because you are just too tired to follow through. Posted by String (Member # 6435) on :
Being an Adult is doing what you want to do, not what you feel like doing.
Adulthood is recognizing your weaknesses, and using that knowledge to become stronger.
Adulthood is accepting responsibility, for failures, victories, and accidents (sometimes accidents are the best ).
Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :
quote:Originally posted by Tara:
quote:Originally posted by Darth_Mauve:
I don't know what is the bigger shame--those few who have to be adults too soon, or those many and many who never reach adulthood no matter how old they grow.
The second one.
As one of the first, I might disagree with you.
I was going to say that, for me, being an adult meant realizing I didn't have to parent anyone except for my children. Adulthood meant peace, innocence, relaxation...all of those things I never had as a child. It meant choosing healthy foods because I was tired of the white bread and Coke that I had to subsist on as a kid. It meant realizing that my work actually yields positive benefits for me, instead of for everyone but me.
I love every single realization that makes my childhood less influential to me. And the funny thing is, even when I was five years old, and didn't know that my family wasn't "functional", I still somehow knew that being an adult would fix most of my problems. It's nice being one of the few people that this is true for.
Posted by Tatiana (Member # 6776) on :
Wow, PSI, I don't know if that's happy or sad. It's bittersweet, I guess.
Adulthood means realizing you can change your habits and your behavior if you persistently work on it, and then actually doing it. Adulthood means taking responsibility for becoming the person you want to be.
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