Time for another Finish The Sentence Friday post. Today’s sentence prompt is “The most unexpected part of being a grown-up is…”
Initially I read it as “… being a parent is…” I conjured up a perfectly just typikel post in my head about that. I’d wax on about how I didn’t expect to get so angry so easily, so happy so easily, so frustrated so easily… etc. Imagine my shock when I put on my glasses and reread the prompt.
My new response was happily easy peasy. The most unexpected part of being a grown-up is … the fact that I am one. When did that happen? In a blink of an eye. Truly.
Credit: Jan Langer, Aktuálně.cz
My teenage years seemed to go on forever. I think this was in large part due to the fact that I looked ever so much younger than my true age. I was short (still am) and my face was babyish (not any more). People assumed I was 12 when I was 16, 13 when I was 18 and 14 when I was finally in my twenties.
You think I’m exaggerating? Let me enlighten you with a few choice examples.
In a blink of an eye #1
I’m buckled into my seat onboard a flight from Sydney Australia to Alice Springs. My plan of taking the bus or train was aborted due to heavy rains in the region. No worries. At least I haven’t had to give up on my plan to climb the historic Ayers Rock. A shadow suddenly crosses my unfolded tray table.
“Would you like to come and meet the pilot in the cockpit?” asks the similar in age and far more gorgeous than me flight attendant.
What? Really? Of course!
She stands to one side and ushers me down the aircraft’s single aisle and straight through the open door of the cock pit. I’m not the only favoured flyer. In fact the small cockpit is quite crowded. There are two uniformed pilots beaming at us from their seats. The older and presumably more senior of the two nods and begins to speak.
“Hi everyone! Welcome to the cockpit. Before we start our tour let me just stress the importance of one thing. DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING. Ok? It’s really important that you keep your hands at your sides.”
Excuse me? That’s rather patronizing. Of course I wouldn’t touch anything. Nevermind. I mustn’t be so sensitive. He’s just really protective of his precious instruments.
“Look out those windows. Can you see the land below? Anybody see a ‘roo or a wallaby? We’re pretty high up aren’t we?”
Hang on a minute. This is not quite what I was expecting. I take a more serious look at my fellow visitors. They’re all no older than 10. In a blink of an eye I know the truth. This is the children’s tour. She thinks I’m a child. I’m not. I’m just shy of turning 20. How special is that? Not very.
Back home it had long been the same. Even with the drinking age in my province being 19 I hadn’t a hope in hell of getting fake ID. I was certain it would only cause the bouncer to stare at me more carefully.
“This says you’re 21. You look 15. Show me another piece of ID.”
This dilemma of folks thinking I was much younger than I really was didn’t stop when I hit 20. Oh no. To my supreme frustration it carried on for a good ten years. After graduating from university with a major in Theatre and a minor in English I found myself working temporarily with my mom in her asian antiques store. That summer of employment morphed into a ten-year association. We had a lot of fun together. A highlight of the experience was the unpacking parties. Whenever a shipment of purchases from one of our many overseas buying trips would arrive we’d throw a huge unpacking party at my parents’ house and invite favoured clients to come over and wield a crowbar or two. It was at one of these that another “Kelly aging issue” occurred.
In a blink of an eye #2
The garage is littered with sheaths of crumpled wrapping paper, piles of splintered wood and exhausted thirsty helpers. We retire to the living room for a chat and a drink. My mother explains that I’ll go into the shop early tomorrow morning with the first load of new treasures. The clients are welcome to have another look at the items then if they wish. One woman, who I rather like and with whom I’ve enjoyed many a chat impossibly coughs up this extraordinary gem:
“You trust her with a key to the store?”
How old did she think I was? 10? Good lord. I’m 27. I think I can be trusted with a key.
Looking back, I believe my youthful appearance made me feel less of a grown up in my twenties. Once I hit my thirties and got married and had children life was too busy to think about “being grown up.” The few times I did were usually in times of family crisis. “You’re the adult here. Deal with it.” I invariably did. There was no option.
When did I consciously consider the fact that I was now a grown-up? This past Christmas when my 18-year-old son’s observation stopped me cold. “Mom, being away for first year is not what I expected. I now have to make all my own decisions and choices whereas you did all that for me before. It’s hard being grownup.”
Wow. I am a grown-up. When did that happen? In the blink of an eye.
This wraps up my post for Finish the Sentence Friday. Many thanks to my marvelous hosts Kate’s Can I Get Another Bottle of Wine, Janine’s Confessions of a Mommyaholic, Stephanie’s Mommy for Real and Kristi’s Finding Ninee. Today they are joined by Sarah at Left Brain Buddha
Enough about me and my becoming a grownup in the blink of an eye. I’m curious about you. Are you like me or are you a long time card-carrying grownup? Or do you even consider yourself a grownup. If you’d care to share, I’d love to hear.
46 Responses
Kelly, I know and seriously I totally bilked and will be 40 in 3 short years. Not sure how I got here and still sometimes can’t believe it. And I too always looked younger then my age and still do. Recently, I went to visit my younger brother at work. After I left his co-worker asked him how much younger then him I was. He just laughed and she asked him what was so funny. He proceeded to tell her that I was the older sibling by 6 years. She still couldn’t believe him and he pretty much told her welcome to my life, where every never believes my sister is older then me now!! 🙂
You’re older by six years and she asked how much younger you were? I love it but I love your brother’s reaction more! This reminds me of my brother. He’s five years older than me and we were staying with him and his wife at a motel a few years back. I had my two with me and the manager looked at the five of us and said “So nice the grandchildren can vacation with the grandparents.” Well! Of course that night at dinner my son asked my brother “What are you going to chose from the Seniors Menu Gramps?” My two kids continue to dine out on that story.
Oh my god, I LOVE this post so much, even though I adored and would have loved to read your initial take on parenting (“how I didn’t expect to get so angry so easily, so happy so easily, so frustrated so easily” – YES!!!!!). The story about the airplane is hilarious. These things used to happen to me all the time as well. I was once asked to show my passport, attending the infamous Sensation art exhibition in London at the age of twenty one because of sexual content. Yup.
NOooo! Love it – you were asked to show your passport. That would have been me ab-so-lute-ly!
you know I find it a delight when I am asked for an ID when I wanna drink in a restaurant or wanna purchase some liquor. I love those moments cause that makes me feel…I have a life besides doing those normal chores that never seem to end…lol
Loved your take on this, katie!
Ha! Yes,I would love to be asked for ID now! It was just so hard when I was younger and trying to be taken seriously.
Well apart from being jealous a bit that you were mistaken for a child at 20 (although I can totally relate to how awful that must have been), I so love and relate to this. It amazes me how OLD we are (relative) when we realize we’re a “grown up.” When, did that happen, for sure, as the blink of the eye is so way too fast. And? Nothing like we expected. Great awesome job on FTSF. I love love it.
Chomp down on that jealousy please. It was horrid as a 20 year old to be mistaken for 10. Guys thought I was 10! Delightful. “No thank you, I don’t want to meet your little brother who is in grade 5.”
Hahaha I can just see the flight crew talking to you like you’re a little kid and you’re all, whaaaaa?
It does happen in a blink. I sometimes think it’s a mistake I was even given a license to drive. And why-o-why would some silly fool put me in charge of our finances! Eeeeep!
Yes! Exactly. Who was the goof who let me not only look after my two kids but their two kids as well? At the beach? With the jumbo waves and the camouflaged bottomless sand pits?
This is great! I had a similar experience where I looked really young, I still do…at least that’s what people tell me. Everyone always thought/thinks my sister is older than me, but she’s seven years younger. My out-of-state license often got rejected at bars when I was we’ll into my 20s and I was questioned about being in a casino when I was 28. But I think your stories take the cake. They’re like 10-15 years off. Mine are only 5-7 years. Great stories!
Yes, but am I not now wishing that the 10-15 year gap hadn’t narrowed so much in recent years ….
People tell me all the time I don’t look my age. However, since I now qualify for some senior citizen discounts I’m clearly an adult!
You’re blessed. I don’t get that comment so much anymore!
I always assume that “looking younger than my age” means about 50 instead of five years older than that.
Perfect!
This is great! I’m actually the opposite – I’m always the youngest one in the group, so people assume I’m older than I really am. My husband is 6 years older than me, one of my best friends is 7 years older than me. Sometimes, that can be insulting, too! 🙂
Ahhhh – good point Lisa. Sometimes the reverse can be insulting too!Yes, hadn’t thought of that.
Oh Henry! I can totally relate. Our generation (although maybe he’s in the one after Gen Y) is stuck in this weird paradox of being “kidults” – not quite an adult but too old to be a kid. So I guess the feeling of being a grown up might come a little later for some. It all just depends on your situation (i.e. when you graduate and how quickly you get into the workforce, etc.)
I don’t think I’m a grown up quite yet (still living at home doesn’t help), although today I parted ways with my parents health insurance and had to get my own (sob) so there’s one foot in the door. And I’m in the same boat as you were, people always assume I’m younger than I am, which might come in handy when I’m older but not right now.
I guess I’ll just ride the Kidult Express for a bit longer, but I’ll be sure to let you know when I get to Grown Up Station.
Yep – you’ve surely got a foot in the door if you’ve got your own health insurance. My two while not living at home at the moment are still on mine! I love that kidults word. Brilliant. Looking forward to hearing when you arrive at Grown Up Station! I have a real sense though that you are enjoying and savouring the journey.
Oh Kelly – I’ve come to count on you for a good snort chuckle and you delivered again. Cockpit kiddie tour is priceless.
Thanks Deborah. For some reason I have a wealth of these just typikel numbers. My mom is the same. Must get them from her!
That’s funny. I would have loved a tour of the cockpit. We had the opposite problem. Actually, mine was conflicted … I looked much older than my years until my mid 20s, but my voice was the other way around. Consequently, when I was 12, I had guys in their 20s trying to pick me up (and I was once in a liquor store when they kept trying to get me to participate in a wine tasting), but well into my 20s, when someone called my apartment, they would ask for my Mom because I sounded like a kid! Fortunately, they both balanced out at some point. 🙂
I completely understand. Most of my pals looked way older than they were and experienced similar things to you!
How true ! Now at 57 I am asking the same thing, how did I grow up so fast ! I have not had the pleasure of being asked for ID for a long time, however, my eldest daughter can relate to you. At 28, she is still being asked for ID. Love your son’s comment about it being hard to be a grown up !
Oh I feel for you daughter Jane. Hopefully the folks at work aren’t making her work that much harder to prove herself!
You made me think, Kelly. And, I’m not sure it’s happened yet. Or maybe it did. Not sure. I know I’m older, but not sure about grown-up. I mean, my house isn’t even finished yet and I’m still hoping for a cockpit tour.
Hahaha! You make me smile Linda. Thanks for that. May the cockpit tour be an interesting and informative one!
I too thought of this in terms of being a parent… And I also get the “you look so much younger” compliment (I thank Estee Lauder!) so I think that sometimes plays into not feeling my age…
I no longer get the “you look so much younger…” Hmmm. Best look into Estee Lauder. Thanks for the tip Sarah.
It is amazing how quickly time flies and the bills begin coming due. I couldn’t wait to get out of the house. If I had just known about all the responsibilities, I might have just lived with my mother until I was 40.
But would she have paid your bills when you were 40? That’s the question.
When did I first feel like a grown up, or old? Grown up was when they handed me my son at the hospital nursery. (What… you’re just giving him to me? Shouldn’t I be given a test first??) The first time I felt old was when I realized my children’s teachers were young enough to be my children. Ugh… it is not a great feeling! Thanks for the smile!
Yes – you nailed it Kate. So very true – I felt the same with my first. “What am I supposed to do with her? Shouldn’t you keep her a weensy bit and I can just watch?”
WOW!! Of course now, I’d KILL to look 10 or 15 years younger than my age, but I know in your 20s that must have been really frustrating!!! It’s funny…sometimes I STILL don’t even feel like a *real* grown up even now…do we ever, I wonder? –Lisa
Of course now I feel the same as you. Would KILL to look 10 or 15 years younger. My mom always said I’d appreciate looking younger when I was older. I did. For about a week…
Oh Kelly, I LOVED that. The cockpit story made me snort. I love that photo trick up there, too. Fascinating.
Thanks Stephanie. Have to say that cockpit story is just the tip of the iceberg. Another one I should share is being asked at nine by a store clerk if I was a girl or a boy? Yes, that was special.
Kelly, I’ve had the same problems, though not on such an epic scale. I’ve always looked young for my age and the last time I can remember someone mistaking me for someone younger was when I was shopping with my teenage daughter and a woman she knew wanted to know if I was her sister. My daughter’s jaw dropped to the floor and all I could do is laugh and thank the woman for the mistake. Mind you, my daughter and I get on like best friends so I can see how the mistake was made! *wink*
To be the age where I could model for a magazine and turn heads once more would be lovely… though I do confess, I still do turn a few heads today. So, maybe I’m not yet a grown up! I certainly don’t feel my age… yet. ♥ Stay young at heart, young in attitude, young in mind and your body will follow.
Much love to you! ♥
Thank you Jean. This made me smile. So fun that the woman asked if you were her sister. Love that. And a huge yes to the “Stay young at heart, young in attitude, young in mind and your body will follow.” Simply could not have put it better.
Kelly, I seriously love your posts!! I am inspired to try to go out of my comfort zone…:)
Thank you… I’ve been serious most of my life, or I should say, had to be, but have never really thought of myself as getting old. I had a friend come up to me when were turning fifty(some almost 5 years ago) saying she was all upset about it. She went on to say we had all our good years behind us, and there was no time left. I laughed and ask her who she was talking to… saying she couldn’t possibly be referring to me in her group..that I had another 50 years in front of me, and that was not taking into consideration that I felt as if I was 39. Mind you I didn’t look as if I was 39, but in my head I’m 39 all day long every day, day in, day out!! I’m sticking to it…:)
Yes! Yes! Yes! I’m with you Kelli. What on earth was she thinking – all the good years behind you. Excuse me? I love your response. I really hope she listened and took it to heart. Fantastic. Just look at my mom still living on her own and painting up a storm. At 91. It would be impossible to list here all the things she has done since she turned 50. Here’s to another 50 for us both!
Amazing what came out of this simple exercise of finishing a sentence. Me too – I’ve always been mistaken for being younger than I am (altho not as young – it doesn’t sound – as you)…and often have trouble with the realization that I AM truly grown-up (three grown kids….two of whom are getting married???). Maybe it’s a way in which we remain forever young. Wonderful post!!!
Ooooh – I like that concept Marcie. The trouble realising we are grown up is a way to remain forever young. Perfect.
Two children about to be married? Congrats – that is very exciting. I’d also add you are too busy to think about aging. Me too! Let’s keep it that way.
I was tall for my age so I always looked my age in my teen years. It has been the last few years that I am mistaken for being much younger than I am. Only last week someone said to me just wait until you hit your forties you will notice a big change. I turned 44 that day.
Yes! How fun. “Just wait ’til you hit your forties!” I love it. Good things await you in your fifties I suspect!