# Surprise! You're an adult

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprise-youre-an-adult/32279
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [September 6, 2000, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprise-youre-an-adult/32279 "2000-09-06T21:09:15Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Why\_A\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@Why\_A\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Why_A_Duck)
#### Post date: [September 6, 2000, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprise-youre-an-adult/32279/1 "2000-09-06T21:09:15Z")

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We’ve all had 'em (well, those of us over a certain age), those little moments when life sneaks up on you, taps you on the shoulder, and says “Tag - you’re an adult now.”

I’m not so much talking about the big bombs (first real job, death of a close friend/reltive, sex, kids, etc…), I’m talking more about the little things.

Things like:

[ul][li]Not being carded at a bar[/li]  
[li]Taking (and failing) a cholesterol test[/li]  
[li]Applying for a loan[/li]  
[li]Being called “Sir” or “Ma’am”[/li]  
[li]Singing along to a Eminem or Limp Bizkit song and having a teenager give you one of those “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” looks[/li]  
[/ul]  
I’ll admit it, chronologically I may be 35, but I usually still feel like some stupid 17 year old who happens to have some disposable income.

It really takes me aback when someone has the nerve to treat me like my age.

What are some of your tales from the frontline of maturity?

Pete (now featuring goatee v2.0)

* * *

Thank you masked man!

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### Author: ![struuter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9e5f3/32.png) [@struuter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/struuter)
#### Post date: [September 6, 2000, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprise-youre-an-adult/32279/2 "2000-09-06T21:22:38Z")

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I’m with you, heart and soul. It bothered me for a while; starting leaning towards that I’m-getting-older-I-should-grow-up mold. Couldn’t do it. And boy am I glad.

I’m never going to grow up.

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### Author: ![Doctor\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)
#### Post date: [September 6, 2000, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprise-youre-an-adult/32279/3 "2000-09-06T21:35:39Z")

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Worst Coming-of-Age Moment: Getting kicked out a McDonald’s playpit.

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### Author: ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)
#### Post date: [September 6, 2000, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprise-youre-an-adult/32279/4 "2000-09-06T21:38:52Z")

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Worst is when you are at your doctors (in my case the eye doctor), describing something new that you’ve noticed happening (in my case “floaters and flashers”), and the doctor hands you a pamphlet that starts out “As we age…”

sucks.

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### Author: ![SeatTime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@SeatTime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeatTime)
#### Post date: [September 6, 2000, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprise-youre-an-adult/32279/5 "2000-09-06T21:39:34Z")

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I began sentences with “Those kids…” Yikes!  
On surveys, I pay attention to the age-range box (I’m still 24-35) 🙂  
I don’t understand why teenagers dress like _that_.  
I’ll say something, and realize that’s **exactly** what my mom or dad would say.

You have to grow old, but you don’t have to grow up. So there, poopyhead!

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### Author: ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)
#### Post date: [September 6, 2000, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprise-youre-an-adult/32279/6 "2000-09-06T21:43:11Z")

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Two words:

Infant Suppository

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### Author: ![magdalene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@magdalene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magdalene)
#### Post date: [September 6, 2000, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprise-youre-an-adult/32279/7 "2000-09-06T22:03:52Z")

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I went to the Tibetan Freedom Concert at RFK stadium a few years ago - it was the first big stadium show I’d been to since high school. I was there with a group of my fellow 24-year-olds, and we felt like the grandparents of the prosti-tots and alterna-teens surrounding us. My friend Molly and I found ourselves commenting on all these cute little kids with garish tattoos showing way too much boob and leg…and we realized that we were saying the same things our moms had said about us. Ack!

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### Author: ![Stuffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)
#### Post date: [September 6, 2000, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprise-youre-an-adult/32279/8 "2000-09-06T22:41:49Z")

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I had a bunch of these:

My son’s best friend called me sir! (I swear I could feel the grey hairs sprouting)

I perfectly balanced my budget (felt great till I realized, hey adults do that)

“Honey, why are those kids wearing thier pants around their ankles?”

“When I was a kid…”

I stood up and my knees popped

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### Author: ![Welfy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e56c9b/32.png) [@Welfy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Welfy)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2000, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprise-youre-an-adult/32279/9 "2000-09-07T00:21:23Z")

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I realized that I’m no longer a child yesterday, when the ice cream truck passed my house and I didn’t run out to it. _sigh_

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### Author: ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2000, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprise-youre-an-adult/32279/10 "2000-09-07T00:56:43Z")

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I was at the mall recently and realized - teenagers bug the crap out of me. Then it hit me…

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### Author: ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2000, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprise-youre-an-adult/32279/11 "2000-09-07T01:00:28Z")

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[singsong]

I know you are but what am I?

[/singsong]

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### Author: ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2000, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprise-youre-an-adult/32279/12 "2000-09-07T04:39:43Z")

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I just graduated college and I have to figure out what I want to do with my life. Ack, I’m so used to going to school, what else can I do?

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### Author: ![Lazarus7](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/67e7ee/32.png) [@Lazarus7](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lazarus7)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2000, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprise-youre-an-adult/32279/13 "2000-09-07T06:22:59Z")

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I attempt to disbelieve!

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### Author: ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2000, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprise-youre-an-adult/32279/14 "2000-09-07T07:44:00Z")

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I’m 35. I still don’t feel like an adult. But I do feel old.

Go figure.

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### Author: ![brachyrhynchos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brachyrhynchos/32/376_2.png) [@brachyrhynchos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brachyrhynchos)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2000, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprise-youre-an-adult/32279/15 "2000-09-07T08:00:32Z")

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When I made out my will.

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### Author: ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2000, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprise-youre-an-adult/32279/16 "2000-09-07T08:22:21Z")

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My moment came when I volunteered to chaperon a large group of kids at a musical performance. It really sunk in that, when it came to the four I was assigned, I was the person responsible for taking them to the bathroom and keeping them quiet during the performance and watching to make sure they didn’t run out in the street and get run over by a truck or something.

By the time my dad was the age I was, he was already married and I think even my older sister had been born. More heaps of perspective there.

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### Author: ![Dijon\_Warlock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9a28c/32.png) [@Dijon\_Warlock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dijon_Warlock)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2000, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprise-youre-an-adult/32279/17 "2000-09-07T09:16:32Z")

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Realising during your birthday “celebration” with your younger girlfriend that the legality of what you were doing had drastically changed, and not for the better.

It used to be that girls always seemed more attracted to guys older than me. Suddenly, they seemed more attracted to guys _younger_ than me. I’ve always wondered if I’d drastically overslept.

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### Author: ![JavaMaven1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/cab0a1/32.png) [@JavaMaven1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JavaMaven1)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2000, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprise-youre-an-adult/32279/18 "2000-09-07T09:38:07Z")

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When I bought my first new car, as I did it on my own, without a co-signer, etc.

Boy, did I feel grown-up that day!

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### Author: ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2000, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprise-youre-an-adult/32279/19 "2000-09-07T12:43:57Z")

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An old (god I’m so old) song by The Pursuit of Happiness:

**I’m An Adult Now**

Well, I don’t hate my parents  
I don’t get drunk just to spite them  
I’ve got my own reasons to drink now  
Think I’ll call my dad up and invite him  
I can sleep in till noon anytime I want  
Though there’s not many days that I do  
Gotta get up and take on that world  
When your an adult it’s no cliche it’s the truth

Cause I’m an adult now  
I’m an adult now  
I’ve got the problems of an adult  
On my head and on my shoulders  
I’m an adult now

I can’t even look at young girls anymore  
People will think I’m some kind of pervert  
Adult sex is either boring or dirty  
Young people they can get away with murder

I don’t write songs about girls anymore  
I have to write songs about women  
No more boy meets girl boy loses girl  
More like man tries to figure out what the hell went wrong

I can’t take any more illicit drugs  
I can’t afford any artificial joy  
I’d sure look like a fool dead in a ditch somewhere  
With a mind full of chemicals  
Like some cheese-eating high school boy

Sometimes my head hurts and sometimes my stomach hurts  
And I guess it won’t be long  
Till I’m sitting in a room with a bunch  
of people whose necks and backs are aching  
Whose sight and hearing’s failing  
Who just can’t seem to get it up  
Speaking of hearing, I can’t take too much loud music  
I mean I like to play it, but I sure don’t like the racket  
Noise, but I can’t hear anything  
Just guitars screaming, screaming, screaming  
Some guy screaming in a leather jacket  
Wooah!

Cause I’m an adult now  
I’m an adult now  
I’ve got the problems of an adult  
On my head and on my shoulders  
I’m an adult now  
Not really contributing but what the heck!

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### Author: ![Angkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@Angkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angkins)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2000, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprise-youre-an-adult/32279/20 "2000-09-07T13:11:25Z")

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I am not an adult! ☹

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