Waiting for the Adult To Arrive
The ChickieNob and I were talking, and it became clear that she believed there would be a day when she would not only be an adult agewise but also feel like an adult, capable of taking care of things and understanding everything.
She will be waiting forever.
As a middle-aged woman, I’m perfectly capable of taking care of many overwhelming tasks on my own, and I have been taking care of those tasks for years. But every time I have to deal with insurance, make financial decisions, or figure out a new vacuum to buy, my first thought is that I wish an adult would come by and take care of all of this for me. I have spent the last thirty years waiting to feel like an adult. I only feel like a grown-up when I realize it’s my choice to consume popsicles for breakfast. That’s it. At all other moments, I feel like I’m waiting for the real adult to arrive and figure out everything.
7 comments
Interesting.
I feel close to 100% confident with financial decisions. .
Not to say I feel confident about everything and I definitely have anxieties but I feel pretty grown up about a lot of important things.
Maybe Chickinob will feel confident too! It’s always impressive to me how my own kids are both similar and different and have already surpassed me in so many ways.
Oh, wow – yes!!!
I’m still waiting to feel like an adult!
I hate making decisions and I absolutely despise planning for future (and both are kind of a necessary part of daily adult life).
Here’s how things go for any important grown-up task. Typically, after a period of complaining, navel-gazing, and semi-hoping that someone will come and take care of the task, there comes a point where I get annoyed that nothing is getting done and then I remember that – wait – I am the adult in charge. And then I get things done (not always super-successfully, and mistakes happen, but, you know, part of life..).
There are certain adult things that I just wait for my husband to deal with: buying tractors, dealing with any sort of power equipment, cleaning roof of the house.
I always feel the most like a real adult when I have to go to the bank and the dry cleaner on the same day.
However, this week we are dealing with a bully at school (Ryan and his friend got kicked last week, Ryan’s friend got punched yesterday, the kid has been suspended, his mom just stopped me on my morning walk to tell me it wasn’t his fault and he didn’t mean it and there are two sides to every story) and I would like a real adult to come deal with this, thank you. Anyway, ChickieNob, I am 43.
I still have moments where I think “ah, this is a very I Am An Adult Now” moment, and I am older than HereWeGoAJen! (most recently, when I bought a lawnmower for the first time–all the other ones I have had came into my life without me being a purchaser).
I’m 63. Still waiting! 😉
I remember well thinking I’d “become an adult” and wouldn’t have the same worries, insecurities, dreams. It’s not quite forever, but I’m like ChickieNob, and I’m waiting. The thing that infuriates me is when people treat me as if I’m not an adult. (Men more than women do that, of course.) Grrr.
I know I’m an adult, but I still feel young and foolish. My problem now is that my husband used to do certain tasks that were in his knowledge base that are not really in mine. While I can make decisions about when and where to get brakes for the car, I felt better when he made those decisions. I want a spare adult to do this work for me, at the very least.
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