Let’s play pretend
Am I the only one who sometimes feels like she is pretending at the whole grown up thing? I was walking down the street at lunch time and passed this woman. She was probably a couple of years older than me. She was dressed well and had an easy smile. My first thought when I saw her was that she looked like such a grown up. I don’t know if I look like a grown up but I know that there are a lot of days when I don’t feel like a grown up – I just feel like I am doing a passable imitation of one.
Don’t get me wrong, I behave like a grown up the majority of the time. I just don’t feel much different than I did at 19. By all outward appearances, I appear to be a grown up. I have a home, a checking and savings account, a tiny bit of money in a retirement fund, own a pet, own a car, take vacations, and am adopting a child. That’s all pretty grown up sounding. Yet I often find myself thinking “Wow, that is something a grown up would do!” when I plan a vacation or buy a car (or decide to adopt a child!). Is there a point at which I start feeling like grown up full time? Will becoming a mom do that for me? I’m just curious because it would be weird to be 64 and saying “wow, that’s totally something a grown up would do!”