The 6 Best Things About Being an Adult

One of the most memorable conversations I've had with my mother was not about anything particularly meaningful... unless you consider cookies to be meaningful, which I do. I was about six at the time, and was commenting on the freedom of adults to eat cookies whenever they felt like it. "I think that must be one of the best things about being a grown up, to eat cookies whenever you want." I expected some kind of wishy washy reply about Health and Vegetables, but that's not what a I got. Mom considered this for a second. "Yeah," she said, "It's pretty great." 

So, with that introduction, I bring you-- the 6 Best Things About Being an Adult*

1. Cookies whenever you want: That is to say, your decisions are, to a great degree, your own to make. Now, with the big decisions, there are a lot of factors to consider-- namely, how your decision will impact other people, and your future. The little decisions, though? That's a free-for-all, and I love it. Sometimes I eat popcorn for dinner, just because I can. 

2. Freedom of movement: In my case, I drive-- but taking public transportation would be every bit as satisfying. I love that, when I want to go somewhere (and am not limited by my schedule/committments to other people), I can do so. Need more cereal? To the grocery store! Want to hang out with friends? Off to Portland! On a similar note, I also have travel plans for Thanksgiving and the week between Christmas and New Year's-- that I made myself, paid for with my money (or, ahem, a flight voucher from Delta), and will undertake Because I Want To. I actually think this also falls in the Cookie category.

3. Being in a position to be a role model: I love that I have the opportunity to teach kids by example, even if it is a fair amount of pressure. A health teacher I had in high school shared the quote "Everything we do teaches a child something," and I have loved it ever since. What responsibility, but what an opportunity. 

4. Hearing the truth: I understand the impulse to sugar-coat information for children, but I despise it. Even as a kid, I knew if I wasn't getting the whole story, but I never knew what the whole story WAS. Therefore, I would make up my own worst-case scenerio, which is invariably much, much worse than whatever was actually happening. I'm very thankful that people don't seem to feel the need to do that for me anymore.

5. Having lived through "it will all be ok": Now, I know that's not always true, but it often is. Sometimes things suck, but often (not always, but often) they do work out ok. That's always hardest to believe if you haven't lived through it, but having had a couple of very worrying experiences that have turned out to be ok (after more or less anxiety or painful effort) is very reassuring. 

6. Having all of the friends that I've made throughout my life this far (I know, I know, "awww...."). Seriously, though, I have lived quite a few places, known quite a few people, and my close friends now are, I feel, the very best. I know there are more friends out there to be made, and I look forward to meeting them, but I'm also pretty sure that the friends I have now can't really be improved upon. Added to, sure, but improved upon? No way. In a similar vein, I love having friendships with people who span a much larger age range than they used to. Remember when a 2 year age difference between friends was huge? Remember when a 4 year age difference was insurmountable? Yeah, me too. And I like it better this way. 

*Inspired by Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop