Is There Somewhere Between?

December 3: Reverb Broads Prompt

How did you become more of a grown-up this year? 
Or did you pull a Peter Pan and stubbornly remain childlike?

Bethany at http://bethanyactually.com/

I did, in fact, start this post yesterday, but now I'm somewhat glad that child-like procrastination and grown-up things prevented me from posting, because this was in my inbox this morning.

And, well, that's me.  I am a grumpy grown-up.  I now realize that I should have said two things to middle school me; the second would have been: try not to loose whatever it is that had you that happy before 7:30 in the morning.  And how do I know  what was before 7:30am?  That's when the school bus arrived and that picture is clearly a before school picture.

Still, I had to write a list to decide if I was a grown up or not and this is what I came up with

Grown Up Things

• Took myself to urgent care when I fell off my bike and broke my thumb*,**
• Bought a new house and I signed my first mortgage papers
• Bought a well-researched and practical car
• Starting to re-model said new house, including refinishing the floorr
• Didn't buy Lucy Charms or any other "kids" cereal
• Bought a Christmas Wreath from the local school kid who came to the door
• Apparently was a stingy crochety Halloween candy giver
• Got laid off and found a new job
• Started eating at the table rather than on the couch in front of the tv.

Childlike

• Slept until 10 at least once and until 9 on numerous occasions
• Wore pajamas all day more than once
• Carved jack o'lanterns
• Christmas decorating will be limited to the wreath, partially because of the floor
• Not sure that I have a career

I'm in my mid-thirties I can (for the most part) fold a fitted sheet. I cook. I clean. I eat my vegetables. I go to work and even work on weekends. I am married. I own am paying for my own house.

There is still something very juvenile about our (my husband is going to get sucked into this, whether he likes it or not) existence. We have been married for fourteen months and eight days (but who's counting). This is a first marriage for both of us. We have neither pets nor kids which means we get to choose how we spend our days. We can sleep late, eat whenever, and go to bed when we like. We can open a bottle of wine and watch stupid movies to our hearts' content.

I'm not going to say we are child-like.  We are responsible, contributing members of society, yet we haven't been forced to truly set up to the plate as far as "grown-up" goes. But is possible that I may have lost some of my child-like zest for every bright new day.

So, I'm going to call myself a grown-up, but I'm going to start focusing (again) at looking at things from a child's perspective. Just as soon as I get these darn reports for work finished.

__________
*Okay, well, maybe falling off the bike is child-like
**and going to Urgent Care, very adult like.  My pinky is still crooked from when my mom didn't take me to the doctor when it got jammed playing volleyball in middle school.