I’m not talking about age, kids, mortgages, or when your knees start popping. I mean the quiet, unglamorous moments where you realize something in your brain has fundamentally changed.
For example:
You begin to be a true adult when you base your toilet bowl brush purchase on quality instead of the lowest price.
Not “it’s on sale,” not “eh, it’ll work,” but “I don’t want to fight this thing at 6am.”
You begin to be a true adult when you get mildly excited about a good extension cord.
You begin to be a true adult when you care more about the warranty than the color.
You begin to be a true adult when you pay extra for the good trash bags because a blowout at the bottom of the can is now an unacceptable life event.
You begin to be a true adult when you say “we’ll see” and actually mean “absolutely not.”
You begin to be a true adult when you own more than one flashlight and know where at least two of them are.
You begin to be a true adult when you judge restaurants by noise level and parking, not just the menu.
You begin to be a true adult when “running an errand” feels like an accomplishment.
You begin to be a true adult when you read the reviews… and then read the bad reviews.
You begin to be a true adult when you have a favorite burner on the stove.
There’s no ceremony. No announcement. Just a slow realization that Past You was wildly optimistic and Current You is aggressively practical.
Alright… your turn.
What was the moment you caught yourself thinking: “Oh. Damn. I’m one of the adults now.”
I believe John Kennedy said at his mothers memorial something like " You never become a true adult until you have lost both of your parents"....
The extension cord one cracks me up! Here are a few more:
-When you understand women enough to realize you could have done much better in your H.S. days. (Well, I could have, anyway.)
-When you recognize that your teenage son is wrong about the things you also were at his age, but you let him find out on his own because you remember what it was like to think adults were idiots.
-When you start looking forward to the desert campfire as much as the riding.
When you realize there are people more important than you. Placing the needs of others before yourself is a milestone into adulthood.
Here are a few that might qualify....
When on errands you think let's stop by the shop/bookstore/get ice cream and then ask how long it will take? (And often just head for home)
When the 30 (40,50) year old guy at work is the "new kid"
When New Year's midnight fireworks/gun shots turn into "I wish they'd knock it off so I can get to sleep"
When your kids say "Well, you did it" and you reply "Don't think that's going to keep you out of trouble"
You think about an after work ride but when you get home you do chores (When this happens I make myself do a "priority reset")
I think it was Seinfeld show that talked about making sounds when you lift something, bend over, get out of a chair.
My sister said she wouldn't lecture like our mom. One day she's talking to her son and he says, "You sound like grandma". Bingo!
(Mom will be 94 in May and we're glad she's still here to "lecture" and "mom" us)
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How about when you get hunger pains and realize nobody is going to just bring you something to eat .
When date nights with your spouse or significant other revolve around running errands or shopping at your favorite home improvement store and a cheap meal vs going out for a nice dinner and having too much to drink at a bar.
What was the moment you caught yourself thinking: “Oh. Damn. I’m one of the adults now.”
Results pending
It's funny how when you're a kid you assume there's a massive disparity between yourself and adults - and of course in some ways there is - but at the same time you also come to realise that the gap is nowhere near what you thought it was...
Oh yeah:
-When you stop looking for big jumps in the desert and instead start wondering where that dirt road leads.
-When staying home to watch Supercross on TV sounds far better than going there in person.
-When "I want to ride tomorrow" is a valid excuse for not drinking even one beer.
-When working on your bike is just as much fun as riding it.
When you watch the weather.
When you never let your fuel get below 1/4 tank.
Buying quality over cost
When I started to have to pay for everything myself. The value of a dollar.
When I lived with my parents if we went out to dinner they paid for it. Whatever was in the fridge was fair game.
The second I moved out and we met up for dinner we split the check and so on.
I lived at home until I was 23
( Nothing by today's standards...I have a 28 and a 33 year-old still living / $u king off me with no hope in sight )
I’m 61.
I’m not sure I’ll live long enough to become a real adult.
When you’d rather go fishing or, ride your dirt bike instead of getting pussy
Not gonna lie....that wouldn't bother me in the least. I still miss having my daughters around....
I'm 58 and patiently waiting.
Patiently? Hate to break the news: you’re an adult…
Depends on the interval. For each.
You shut your dirty mouth.
My wife calls me Manchild.
Pit Row
After 25 years of marriage, I’ll just go riding or fishing first lol.
When I was younger, I would call in sick to work or, cancel plans to go fishing for a day of playing with the fun bags.
I've tried being an adult once or twice and knew it wasn't for me. Gave up on that shit a looong time ago. But on occasion i do hear about people that used to sneak out of the bedroom to go to a party and now sneak out of a party to go to the bedroom.
Carry on all you adults! I'm just fine being a mid 60s juvenile!
TM
When you realize that you are responsible for that ""loan" that a financial institution gave you.
My wife and I have been empty nesters for a little over a year. I absolutely love my kids more than life itself (spent 6 years as a single dad), but my youngest has been here visiting for the last two weeks, and I'm actually looking forward to having my house back when he goes back to Texas tomorrow. We've had a lot of fun, but it's time to get back to my normal.
When you start getting noticing and getting interested in different types of birds...
Seriously, when you lose both parents and have a kid, you realize there ain't nobody out there backing you up. It's 100-percent you and your will.
Must be nice to have the choice LOL.
When people younger than you start calling you “sir”.
That sounds about right.
To answer the OP's question, I don't really know but I've reached that age where the older generation of my family have all passed on leaving me next in queue to clock out.
What's "pussy" ?
Ouch. Yeah, I remember the first time that happened.
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