What's My Age Again?

Dear Wondering If You'll Ever Feel Like an Adult,

Remember when you were a kid and couldn't wait to be a "grown-up"? I used to think that there would come a time in my life-whether through some momentous occasion (like having a kid) or a certain age (30), when I would finally feel like an adult. As I've grown older and talked to people that are older, I've realized something. Most of us never really feel like an adult. Parents with several kids still don't feel like they're old enough to have kids. Most of us have adult responsibilities but never really feel like we're actual adults.

I know I feel that way. When I think back on major events in my life that signify growing up (getting my driver's license, graduating from high school and then college, my first job), I remember I never really felt like I was old enough to do these things. I thought "how in the world am I already graduating high school?" or "There's no way I'm old enough to start my career." I think it's because a lot of times I still don't feel my age. I'm 26 and I recently purchased my own car for the first time. My one and only other car was one my parents bought me in high school and I had it for almost 10 years. And while I was buying it, I thought to myself  "Wow, I kind of feel like a grown-up right now." (Notice the use of the word "grown-up" indicating I still don't see myself as an adult). I mean, I still love Disney movies and Disneyland (I will probably be the mom dragging her kids to these rather than the other way around). I still have crushes on celebrities. I go to concerts and think "I'll never be too old for this!" (I'll probably be the old lady at concerts). I still feel awkward sometimes in new social situations. I still break out (this is really unfair). I still just act like a big kid.

It's funny how this transfers over to how I think about people I knew when I was younger. In my mind, people stay the same age they were when I knew them. Whenever I hear about people from my high school who are married with kids I think about them as their 16 year old self and say "But, they're too young!" Or what's really mind-blowing is hearing about people I went to elementary school with having kids. I mean in my mind, they're not even old enough to drive yet! I remember going to my close friend's wedding several years ago. It was the first wedding I went to where it wasn't a family member getting married. It was my friend. We're too young to get married!

I think it's a good thing though that a lot of us still feel this way. It keeps us young and helps us hold onto a little bit of our childhood. We should never get too old to be silly or do the things we love just because we're supposedly adults now. I mean isn't it true that the more we age, the more we wish we could go back to being kids? So why not embrace that and maybe try to institute nap time at our jobs?