“Since Dana discovered the house corner, it seems to be her favorite, pretending to be the mother or big sister; dressing up and cooking dinner.” -Mrs. White, my nursery school teacher
Even as early as three years of age, I wanted to be a grown-up. Many kids do; adulthood seems exciting and important, and so far out of reach. Oh, if we could just get there! And while we’re waiting, we’ll play house and dress-up, and pretend we can do all the things we dream of doing.
I’ve been adulting for many years, but as a child, I thought I’d be more excited about some of them.
1. Mail
Like Pavlov’s dog, I waited for the mailman (now a mail carrier, but back then it was always a man) to pull up to my house in his cool truck with the steering wheel on the wrong side. What wonderful goodies awaited me in that tin box? Usually nothing, but the occasional Highlights magazine or the Sears catalog was enough to sustain my daily excitement.
I’m not excited anymore. Most of the mail I receive as an adult are bills, flyers, and much too premature offers to join AARP.
2. Writing checks
Millennials may not even know what checks are, but I loved watching my mom write checks when I was a kid. My first set of checks were covered in cute polka dots, and I felt important every time I signed my name. I also loved making the swiggly line after 00/100 cents, because that’s what you did when you were a grown-up who wrote checks.
My current checks are the generic “safety blue,” and the only times I use them are for the cleaners (no credit cards) and my nieces’ and nephews’ birthdays. I suppress a sigh when I’m behind someone in line paying with a check, and that person is almost always over seventy.
3. Choosing what’s for dinner
I wasn’t always thrilled with what my mother made for dinner, but that is no reflection on her cooking. I was a picky eater with a limited meal repertoire, and I could not wait to be an adult and be in charge of menu choices every night.
I HATE being in charge of menu choices every night. Karma gave me kids who are picky eaters, and it is the rare night when everyone likes what’s being served.
My mother always used to say “I don’t mind cooking, I just hate planning the meals.” Amen, Mom.
4. Driving
It’s what so many teens strive for…the freedom to go where you want, when you want, without having to depend on your parents to take you there or pick you up. With a late birthday, I felt like I was the last teenager to get her driver’s license, especially since I failed on my first try. I’m so nostalgic for that brand new license that I’ve kept my 16-year-old weight on every subsequent renewal.
Driving did provide me with independence, until I had kids. For eighteen years I’ve been metaphorically chained to my car, but the end is in sight. However, the freedom that comes with my teens’ licenses is paired with a nagging fear for their safety.
5. Mowing the lawn
I was so excited to mow the lawn when I was thirteen or so, because anything that you’re too young to do must be super cool. I quickly discovered it was definitely not super cool. Mowing the lawn turns my shoes and socks green, makes my legs itch, and is probably causing hearing loss.
Lawn mowing is now the teenager’s job, but I’ll be stuck with it again when he goes to college. I suppose we could pay for someone to mow the lawn, but I’d prefer to use that money to order carry-out. (See #3)
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While certain aspects of adulting turned out to be less exciting than I thought they’d be, being a grown-up is usually pretty awesome. One particularly awesome part is exercising my right to vote, which I plan to do this weekend. It’s a responsibility and a privilege – don’t blow it off. Get out and vote on or before November 8th!
OMG! I could not agree more! I hire college gals to work in our church nursery & when I request a blank check to set up direct deposit, they don’t even have any. I am completely sick and tired of figuring out dinner AND driving!!! 🙂
Me too – although ordering take out every night would get very expensive!
I couldn’t agree more with you and your mom about nightly cooking for the whole family. My kids were also very picky. Now that they are grown and married they have embraced an enthusiasm to try just about any type of food. All this at the exact time they had kids of their own – picky eater kids. Karma!
(I cast my ballot via early voting!)
Me too (the voting)! I wonder if my kids will have picky eaters? Part of me wants them too, but it’s so much better for the kids if they aren’t!
All so true! Especially dinner, which may the absolute worst part of adulting.
I see I’m not alone in my hatred of meal planning! Everyone seems to despise it as much as I do.
Nodding in agreement to every one of these – except, I must confess, I don’t cut the grass. Feeling chained to the car? Amen! And meal planning – if I could afford to hire someone, I would. Not that I mind cooking… I just want someone to come up with the meal ideas and put required ingredients on my list.
I actually know a fair number of teens these days who are not excited about getting their license. It’s the weirdest thing! I couldn’t wait to drive. I’m thankful my kids are not in that group – I need their help!
Great thoughts, again!
Sorry so late with this reply, Julia. I cut the grass for the first time this year last week – I don’t mind so much every once in awhile. James is the designated mower now, and I love it!
And yet, I still get the mail with excitement every day. As if it’s going to be so good. Well hey, sometimes it is.
Planning and executing meals is something I’m quite useless at!
The good thing is that driving is still exciting to me!!
Well, that’s good – you do a lot of it! Mail is good sometimes, but I’m always disappointed when it’s just flyers and junk mail.
I still get a bit excited checking the mail each day.
I’m always expecting something.
I’m not sure what…
but something REALLY good will come one day! xx
True! I love getting my Entertainment Weekly – that makes me happy!
Oh yes how I can identify with your mom about cooking meals. I like the cooking part, it’s the planning part that I can’t stand!
Eve always plays in the kitchen and with the dolls at her coop. Her favorite thing to do is “cook” me meals and nurse her dolls.
Being an adult is definitely not all that it’s cracked up to be. Though it’s nice to eat dessert whenever we feel like it 😉
It certainly is!
Checking the mail still makes me excited, although most days the mail is a disappointment…
So true!
I loved this post. Is it weird that still like to write checks? Drives Rich crazy, cause he works in electronic bill pay. And I still order designer checks! Hate planning meals and being chained to my car (except for road trips). Finally, I voted on October 17th. I just want it OVER.
Me too! But I have a feeling that November 8th won’t be the end of it all.
Dana, you’re spot on with all of these adulting things. I do have cool VT (Virginia Tech) checks that I only use to pay my house cleaners and lawn crew. See, you be cool and write one more check per month if you hired a lawn service – why don’t they offer auto payment?
I loath menu planning, drive only when I must, and some days forget to bring in the mail because you’re correct – it’s only going to be bills and massive amounts of credit card offers.
Happy Friday!
Happy Friday to you too! My checks last so much longer than they used to – remember sitting down to write out 10-20 checks a month to pay all the bills?
Yep, AMEN mom! If only!
Already voted here. Our early voting startend Oct. 20 and my husband and I were there first thing. I hope people aren’t really going to blow it off. That thought makes me ill.
Me too! How many people died for our right to vote? How many people all over the world have no choice in their government? My daughter sent me a video of her mailing her absentee ballot – made me so proud.
OMG this is all so true…except for the mail if you tend to be a compulsive Amazon prime orderer 🙂 I absolutely love the mail most days.
As for voting? You can bet this nasty woman will be casting her nasty vote first thing on Nov 8th. I seriously cannot wait!! #nerd
Packages don’t count as mail for me — my cute UPS guys brings those!
I’m going to vote early, but right now the polls are super crowded. And they are open all weekend!
Adulting always seemed like the absolute best thing and yes, I was in a hurry to do some adulting of my own. Now, I just want to crawl under my bed and color for hours like I could when I was a kid! I kind of like mowing the lawn though.
You can mow mine.;)
My college roommate and I used to check our mail boxes like six times a day, because there was no text, no email, nothing but mail and honestly, sometimes, I think that was better. We used to write and draw pictures and send them in the mail. And that was awesome. I miss that.
I also remember wishing I could write checks and now? jeez. What an awesome way to finish this week’s sentence, Dana!
PS I still kinda like driving. Is that weird?
No it’s not – I don’t mind driving if I’m alone and have control of the radio. I love listening to audiobooks in the car. If I’m the passenger, though, I fall asleep within twenty minutes.
I absolutely couldn’t agree more with all of the above, especially the mail delivery as back in the day was such a fun diversion, but now as an adult not so much. Oh and I think we totally had that Sears Wish Book when I was a kid!! 😉
Those were the best, weren’t they? The predecessor to browsing online and putting things in carts but never buying.