Adulting
Adulting – a noun? Verb? Adjective? I guess it can be all of them.
A term to describe being a responsible adult who behaves in a mature and grown up fashion. The definition on its own probably cuts out half of the 18 years plus age bracket but nonetheless an adult is usually considered to be someone that also falls within this age group.
Someone who adults will pay bills, own some assets, is independent and usually has a profession (of some description). They are aint’ no ‘Bug-a-boo’.
Adulting was always something I desperately yearned for when I was ‘childing’. This is one of my biggest regrets. In fact, I am so annoyed at my child self for wanting to grow up and part with the ways of freedom, being careless, being irresponsible and having fun without any repercussions, that I wish I could turn back time and slap my child self across the face.
But as fate would have it, and general physics (I don’t if this is the correct science term for this reference) I cannot turn back time so instead I will write about it and explain all the things that no one told me (or that I didn’t listen to) about being an adult and why being a child is so much better.
What no one told me about adulting (an incomplete list).
1. Money
Yep, although my primary school principal convinced most of my class that he had a money-making machine that could just create money from thin air; this was in fact completely untrue. A. Big. Fat. Lie.
The reality is money does not come from this special machine Mr L had at his house and would bring to school on special occasions, it does not grow from branches or stems from a tree in the spring time and you don’t just get given it for everything you want, need or desire when you move into adulthood (unless of course you are one of those people).
It turns out adulting = earning your own money. If you want a house, food, clothing you need to earn the dollars to pay for it. If you want a thirty-cent cone… forty-cent cone…fifty-cent cone…FFS, whatever cent cone (or dollar) at Maccas, youneed to earn it.
2. Emotionally taxing
Adulting is STRESSFUL.
For some, like the anxious ones (me) it is more stressful than others, but I would say across the board it is definitely emotionally taxing to be an adult.
The reality of world, of people, or commitments it can be overwhelming at times. It also links very closely with the next on my list, responsibility.
3. Responsibility
Responsibility whether it is your job, children, animals, yourself, your family, all of those listed or something else that isn’t even there. Responsibility means you, as a person, as an adult have to actually look after something or someone, you have to care for it, look out for it, organise things, plan, sort out problems and make decisions. Generally, responsibility SUCKS.
Gone are the days of relying on your mum and dad for things, for getting you out of trouble, cooking your dinner, buying that outfit you really want but can’t afford, now that shi* is on you!
4. Doing so many things you don’t like doing
Like numbers 1-3, things you don’t like doing seems to be a very significant part of adulting.
Things like paying bills, spending money on ridiculously expensive household items or tools required to fix things up when things break that mean you can no longer afford that item or that holiday because needing a functioning toilet actually is essential.
Going to work – self explanatory
Eating well – because if you don’t it actually matters when you hit 30.
Grocery shopping, with children – NO!
Waking up several times a night or at the crack of dawn because your child/ren decide that is completely appropriate.
In turn needing to purchase extra strong coffee and eye cream that costs a billion dollars to remove all the lines and puffiness caused by never sleeping.
Hitting 30 and your body just hurts, all the time, for no reason. Yes, this actually happens.
Well it would seem I could go on and on and on and…you get the drift. So, kids, enjoy it, adults, I am sorry.