One of my friends asked me not too long ago, (and yes I plan to continue without any explanation as to where I have been for so long... you know you're not my mother) what moments make me feel like an adult. As this is an issue I had been pondering for a while, yet in a different way I was happy to talk about it, because most people don't like when you rant about why you hate being a grown up. (note: it turns out my friend was asking all his friends, which then made me think all my friends should just put up with my "growing up is a bitch" theories)

With wanting to provide the best answer, I took a moment. To me, I realize that I've become an adult when I have a decision to make, and due to experience know the consequences of both options and make the correct one.

For example- when fighting with a boyfriend there is always that turning point in the fight, where the phone goes silent and no one is saying anything, a decision has to be made. You can a) hang up the phone, b) act really annoyed with the other person, tell them you'll call tomorrow, go out get really drunk, make out with someone else, c) get annoyed, hang up, get drunk, call that person back later that night when drunk and say things you'll regret, or d) try and get to the bottom of what is upsetting both parties and resolve issue. Now, since the beginning of time, all these options are available to you, however in youth, you can ignore or even be oblivious to the D rationale. You can in fact completely fuck up your relationship because you probably only were dating the guy because he looked hot behind his drum set. So you choose A or B or C and deal with the dramatic aftermath.

But here's when I now feel like an adult, in that moment I know my options BUT I also know my consequences. And that's more important. By choosing B, I know that the next morning I'll be sneaking out of someone else's bedroom. That I will go along with my normal activities drenched in a particular sent called guilt no. 9. This guilt will lead me to be weird and super nice to my boyfriend. He'll know somethings weird, because I'm normally an asshole. We'll meet up that night, preferably in a park or a car for effect only. And we'll get into an even bigger fight, and we'll break up and I will loose everything instead of just resolving one fight.

See the I KNOW difference? So now in that moment, I have to choose D, because in that moment on the phone I weigh my options. I have to accept the fact that I don't want to loose someone over having a bad day. Sure there are other things that apply to this "make the right decision" grown up problem, picking bills over shopping, not going drinking so you can get a head start at work, not being able to travel to visit friends cause again you have to go to work to pay the bills that prohibited you from shopping. But its loosing that fun, irresponsible route and that's depressing.