when i bumped my head on the top of the door post on the way out of my apartment.
[hijack]
DOOK! You were AF? Where were you stationed? I was at Brooks AFB in San Antonio, but my job had me travel all over.
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I guess I realized I was growing up (although I admit, I still have a LOOOONG way to go) when I was driving my cousins (9, 11, and 12) from KY to St Louis. The were driving me crazy with the fighting in the back seat and I heard a voice say, “If you three don’t shut up, I’m taking you right back!” That was followed by, “Don’t make me stop this car.” This was then followed by, “Alright! One more sound and I’m just gonna reach back there and slap somebody!”
Suddenly I had flashbacks of me and my sister fighting in the back seat and my dad proclaiming the very same thing 20 years before.
The year I turned 16 my life was wicked, my parents got divorced, I had my first serious relationship (involving date rape, physical abuse, unwanted pregnancy), gave birth, gave my child up for adoption, discovered my father was an alcoholic, survived a car accident that killed my best friend ( I was sitting on her lap!). My life, was circling the bowl.
I was older at 16yrs than I will ever be again. Thank God
Today is my 44th birthday, I have had a remarkable life in the years since then. Your question got me to thinking if I had any regrets, would I go back and change anything. Stuff like that.
And you know what I discovered? I wouldn’t change a thing, if I could go back and restart from any point, I would return to 28yrs. I would willingly restart my life from that point, just because it was so much fun I could do it all again. Not too bad for someone from such inauspicious beginnings.
Great Topic, by the way!
**
I’m stationed at Brooks (for 165 more days, anyway).
I work at AFRL (you probably know it as AL… we re-organized back in 97/98, now all the research labs are one)
Wanna hear something really freaky? I’m from Missouri too. I’ll be going back to Columbia in… well a little less than 165 days. Gotta allow for that terminal leave. Early November, most likely.
-dook
When I joked "Don’t call me Mister SoSueMe, you make me sound old like my father.
But the kid was too young to see any difference.
Then I knew I was just another grownup.
I felt grownup when I moved out of my parents house on my 18th birthday but I wasn’t really grown up. I’m 25 and I still feel like I’m 17. I enjoy getting down on the floor and playing with the kids, blowing those Magic Bubbles with my daughter and going down the slide at the park. I know in my mind that I’m a full fledged adult because I work full time and take care of a house and two kids but in my heart I think I’ll always be a kid. I love to play and have fun even though I may take things a little too seriously at times.
I knew I was old when I saw kids walking around with their trowsers hanging down their bums, and I said to myself, I says, “Don’t they know how dumb that looks” Oh! Quick tingle up my spine. I just realized at that point I was growing up.
The good news is, I realized it, and although I still wouldn’t wear the fashion, I’m still having fun and acting young. This is said with three decades of life experience under my belt.
There is no one event that has made me feel grown up completely, because I will always be the fun-loving, joking, optimistic person I was as a kid. I am just a lot taller now. But, there were some events that sure put perspective on where you are in your life.
-In the span of one month I graduated college, got married, and moved out of state. That’ll twist the knickers.
-A friend of mine (high sckool) was killed by 3 14 year olds. It is a very sobering experience and a strange feeling.
-When one of my best friends had a kid. That was a serious eye opener
-When, as a 23 year old (only 2 years ago) we were at our first practice as the coaches of a 14 year old girls team. I was teaching the Mikan drill to a player and she called me “Sir.” Ouch.
Then again, I still play Dr. Mario, make jokes at every opportunity, and can’t watch a love scene in a movie with my parents in the room without blushing.
Mulli said, “and can’t watch a love scene in a movie with my parents in the room without blushing.”
Me too!
Amen to that!
I realized I was on the road to adulthood (I’m only 19, after all) when I racked up to much debt on my credit card (only $300, but I had NO way of paying it off) and I had to get a part-time job for a few weeks to pay it off. Also, my parents are not giving me spending money for the upcoming school year, so I have to work my ass off all summer and save my own money instead of blowing it on clothes and whatnot. It does suck, but hey - it kind of feels good too. I am still a kid at heart though. I play Nintendo and giggle all the time. 
I think my biggest growing-up realization was when my daughter Courtney was born. I realized, “Geez, I’ve gotta support 3 people now with my income!” (Wife quit tenatively to be with her.)
When I actually felt fine staying home on a Friday night.
I mooch thru life with my head in the clouds, but every so often the fact that I am no longer a child smacks me full on in the face and leaves me reeling for a while:
- when I realise I can go away for a day/weekend/week/fortnight and not only not ask my parents’ permission, but don’t even have to tell them
- when my 7yr old step daughter and her friends ask me if they can go out to play, or if I can watch them across the road
- when the bills start piling up and I have to pay them (or ignore them!)
- when I can stay up til 4am on the SDMB and no-one will shout at me to go to bed
- when I can eat chocolate for breakfast with no reprisals
- when some kid in a shop refers to me as a ‘lady’
etc, etc…
The freedom is amazing but the responsibility is soooooooooo scary!!
I hereby declare that from this, the thirteenth day of June 2000, I am twenty-five years old, and will remain so for the rest of my life. However, this does not preclude the giving of presents or cards, or the celebration, in whatever fashion is considered appropriate, of the date of my birth.
Will witnesses to this declaration kindly step forward and sign below! Thank you.
galadriel said:
Will witnesses to this declaration kindly step forward and sign below! Thank you.
signing decaration despite only having been legal (18) for 8 months and 9 days.
I haven’t grown up yet. Still afraid of the dark. I hope I don’t ever permanently, irrevocably grow up. I know people who can’t go back to being kids and it’s just so sad . . . ;(
Patrick