I’ve spent this weekend in the company of a friend from uni who I hadn’t seen in a couple of years. Lovely girl; we’ve kept in sporadic contact and she decided that this weekend would be a nice one for a visit to the backward Irish one from halls. Which was nice.
The thing is, it’s now three years after university. We both own houses. We both have jobs with a certain level of responsibility. We’re both in the wrong half of the 18-30 demographic. We are, in the eyes of the state and most people in the work environment, grown ups. Or adults, as it could be called.
And I, for one, think that that is bloody scary, because we both basicially acted like kids for two days, watching the A-Team, Scrubs, Two Guys & A Girl, drinking, talking shite and generally falling back to the student days.
Of course, it would be more of a falling back if that wasn’t what I’m like anyway.
So, my question: when does one actually become an adult? When does the mind grow up? And when is it no longer funny to watch a small blond girl try to sit upside down on a reclining armchair?
ok, first of all, don’t. Growing up is bad!!!!
As a measure I would use, when the time comes that other people have to point out that you just sounded like your Dad (or mum in my case) and you don’t want to curl up your toes and die from horror, instead you point out that perhaps your parents were right all this time and so on. At this point you are officially beyond help.
I think I have become a proper grown up in the last 2 years. I think the process will be complete when I am 28/29.. And its shite…
I think I’m well qualified to comment on this one. Grown-upness comes in stages. Driving, house-owning, baby-making, career-building can all come pretty early in life without you having to be a tedious, boring, old fart. Realising your parents were right all along is just one of the (later) stages. There is no way anyone could be completely grown up at 28/29.
Unless they’re insane.
Toast: Not much danger of that; apparently me da was a very patient, rational, reasonable fella. I think I’m a fair way from being mistaken for that.
swm: WooHoo! Still 3 or 4 years to go!
Nelly: Good answer. Of course, if the criteria is ‘tedious, boring, old fart’, then I know more grownups who are <25 than >25. Which can’t be right, hell, I’d be a grown up by that criteria…
I think I escape on a technicality by not being an “old fart”.
Was it the wee fraggle you had to stay?
It was the clue about the small blond that gave it away, wasn’t it?
And the sitting upside down on the chair.
Well, yes, that would make things a little obvious.