There comes a moment in all of our lives — whether it’s that one birthday, having a child, or turning twenty-one — where it dawns on us: You are supposed to be an adult! Or at least you feel pressured to be. But what does that mean exactly? Does it mean you’ve reached adult status once you’ve had sex? When you have successfully made your own doctor’s or car maintenance appointment? Perhaps it’s once you’ve successfully filed your own taxes, because I don’t know if I’ve experienced anything more heart-wrenching! Whatever being an adult is, it’s clear no one truly knows when they can rightfully proclaim themselves one.
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When I turned ten I decided I would be like Peter Pan. I never wanted to grow up, and this went on until….well, I still fret when November comes around. Another year, meaning another step you should’ve taken by now. Perhaps what’s most stressful are the expectations everyone around us, and ourselves, have for our supposed future. A future that seems to be too rapidly approaching and catching up to us.
The truth is, you don’t have to feel like that. Of course, at one point in time, we should have our shit together, but who’s the judge of when that is and how continuous that should be? It’s cheesy, and you have all heard this before, but we are all at different places in our lives, and that is where we’re supposed to be. Everyone’s desires, experiences, and beliefs are different, so how could we all be at the same place? The fact of the matter is that all it takes to be an adult, is simply trying to be the best person you can be right now. Yes, that includes resisting the urge to be petty, dwelling on the smaller things over and over again, being responsible, and knowing that it’s ok to screw up every now and then. Sure, you don’t have to be the best version of yourself at all times, but it is good to try from time to time.
In addition, being an adult has no confined limits. Who says you can’t be an adult and still love going to Disneyland? Or letting yourself enjoy cartoons when you can’t sleep? Or even having breakfast for dinner, because who doesn’t love digging into a stack of pancakes at nine in the evening? The only person that gets to judge you is yourself, and everyone else’s notions of what you should be is irrelevant, be that society, your friends, or even your family.
So go bravely into that abyss and wear that Wonder Woman costume on Halloween and your favorite mouse ears at the park!