Showing proof of adulting
It seems as though the point at which we pass from childhood to adulthood is an ever-moving target. Perhaps it’s actually just a concept and we never actually hit the adulthood bullseye. Well whatever it is, this week I think I may have at least landed on the adulthood dart board.
You know that moment where the graduate crosses their tassel from one side to the other as they accept their university degree from the school’s chancellor, that seemingly shifts their life into some level of adulthood? Well, for us 2020 graduates, and followed by the 2021 grads, we had to put that moment off due to pandemic circumstances. But in the last couple of weeks, university and college graduates from the past two years have been given the opportunity to cross the stage, “officially” stepping into the next phase of their lives. I was one of these lucky 2020 grads who got to take a trip down to the big city for a graduation this past week. Stepping back on campus launched me two years into the past for just a few hours. It’s an odd thing to have been technically living your “adult life” for two years and then jump back to student life again. The transition into post-post-secondary life after my final class was a bit weird in itself. It just sort of…ended. With no graduation ceremony then, my last day of classes came, went, we had a weekend and then I was working as an adult.
While I must admit we all thought the ceremony was just for a bit of a show, it did certainly feel like closure on that chapter of life, and it was nice to get a little celebration for all of our long nights and even longer essays. Seeing your professors when they feel a little less like teachers also feels a bit like an adult moment.
The day after my graduation, I hit another adult milestone. I bought my first car! Now I apologize in advance that this is a bit of a bragging moment, but I am pretty darn proud of myself for making this grand purchase! And this one has been a long time coming! Like anyone who ordered a car in 2021, I have been waiting for nine long months to finally get the keys in my hand. But finally it’s here, and every time I grab that heated, leather steering wheel, I totally feel like a grown-up.
On top of all that, the week prior, I filed my taxes as a business for the first time! Which is somewhat less exciting but certainly still hitting on the “adulthood board.”
It’s funny to think about what being an adult actually is. A friend of mine, only a few years older than me, mother of two, said to me that on occasion, when the time comes to make a decision, she still feels like she needs to look around and find an adult to ask for advice. It is strange to think that at some point there is a pass over from childhood to adulthood. I know we could technically say 18 years old is the age we become an adult, but I’d say that there are definitely some 18 year olds, and even many people older than 18, that are not quite “adults” yet. Or you could also think about adulthood at the time that the frontal lobe finishes developing. That’s at 25 years old, and in my opinion probably a closer goal to reaching “adulthood.”
I think it’s elements of our life that can be considered “adult,” and that the marker of adulthood is probably once we realize that most of the aspects, situations and decisions are more “adult” than “child.” Maybe once we find ourselves graduating from university, filing our business taxes, buying cars and insurance and groceries and vet bills that we start to just consider ourselves to be adults.
And, on top of all the adult money spending, this summer will mark my quarter century birthday, which also feels like quite an “adult” milestone.
So, to all the 2020 grads and all the quarter century humans, congratulations and welcome to the adulthood dart board!