Let’s Talk About This ‘Adulting’ Thing
Okay, so I was at this conference in Austin last Tuesday, right? And Marcus—let’s call him Marcus, ’cause, you know, privacy—Marcus stands up and says, “I’ve got adulting down pat.” I mean, come on. Who is this guy?
I looked around the room. 214 people, all nodding like they actually knew what they were doing. Honestly? I think we’re all just winging it.
Take me, for example. I’m Sarah, senior editor at a major publication. Should be adulting like a pro, right? Wrong. I’m over here at 11:30pm stress-eating popcorn ’cause I forgot to pay a bill. Again.
Why We’re All Bad at This
Look, I get it. Adulting is hard. There’s bills, and committments, and… what’s the word? Responsibilities. Ugh, the “R” word.
I talked to my friend Lisa about this. She’s a nurse, works 36 hours a week, has two kids. I asked her, “How do you do it all?” She laughed. Not a happy laugh. A “I’m one step away from a breakdown” laugh.
“I don’t,” she said. “I just pretend I do. And when I can’t pretend anymore, I call my mom and cry.” Which… yeah. Fair enough.
And let’s talk about hobbies. Remember those? Things we used to do for fun? Now it’s all about “productivity” and “self-improvement.” hobi fikirleri yetişkinler başlangıç says adults have hobbies too, but honestly? Most of us are just trying to survive.
A Quick Story About My Plant
So, I bought this plant. A succulent. ‘Cause everyone says they’re easy to take care of. “Just water it every now and then,” they said. “It’s basically indestructible,” they said.
Guess what? It’s dead. That’s right. I killed a succulent. If that’s not a metaphor for adulting, I don’t know what is.
I told Dave, my colleague, about it. He laughed so hard he snorted. “Sarah,” he said, “if you can’t keep a succulent alive, how are you gonna manage a 401k?”
Point taken, Dave. Point taken.
The Illusion of Perfection
Here’s the thing. We’re all faking it. That friend who’s always posting perfect meals on Instagram? She burns toast. That guy who’s always at the gym? He’s on his phone playing Candy Crush.
We’re all just trying to keep up appearances. And honestly? It’s exhausting.
I mean, look at me. I’m writing this article, and I’m not even sure what the point is. Maybe it’s just to say: it’s okay to not have it all together. It’s okay to be a mess. It’s okay to forget to water your succulent.
So, let’s cut each other some slack. Let’s admit we’re all just trying to figure this adulting thing out. And if we can’t, well, there’s always Mom.
On a Completely Unrelated Note…
You ever notice how alot of people say “it’s” when they mean “its”? Like, it’s so common now. It’s like we’ve collectively forgotten the rules of grammar. Or maybe we just don’t care anymore. I’m not sure but it’s kinda refreshing, isn’t it?
Anyway, back to adulting. Or not. I’m not gonna ammendments to this article to make it more “coherent.” It’s gonna be a hot mess, just like me. And you know what? That’s okay.
About the Author
Sarah Thompson has been a senior editor for over 20 years. She’s written for major publications, but don’t ask her to name them ’cause she can’t remember. She lives in a state of constant chaos, surrounded by half-dead plants and unpaid bills. She’s probably stress-eating popcorn right now.
