I hear people say “I feel so grown-up now”. Yet, situations in which people would say it makes “grown-up” look really unattractive. See for yourself: someone would say “I feel so grown-up” while waiting for a dental check up. Or when drowning in the tax filing details, rewarded solely by knowing that they are “being responsible”. Or when taking their car to a workshop.
Our secret is out, society have noticed millennials are rather unexcited about adulating. Going to a dentist, doing taxes, paying bills and getting a car fixed — those are the sort of things we associate with being an adult! No wonder that when talking about it, we sound really proud but also really bored. Soon novelty of taking a car to the workshop or getting your yearly dental check up goes away and all we are left with is bored. Just bored.
When we have kids (just think of this, we’ll have kids! Like real grown-ups!) I hope we are smart enough to explain them — bills and checkups are not what being a grown-up is really all about.
Let me tell you this. Recently, I can’t get enough of being a grown-up! It feels like a Disneyland, a Wonderland, a dream come true. It feels like the most realistic, fun and engaging game I ever played. To begin with, graphics are just the top notch.
I can’t get enough of being a grown-up! It feels like the most realistic, fun and engaging game I ever played.
No one ever told me being a grown-up is all about creating.
I remember, as a kid, I would line up my toys (and parents) in the theater style sitting to watch “a performance”. The performance would consist of an impromptu story that I would act out using my stuffed animals. “Spectators” loved the performance. I loved the act. I could not imagine I would get to do the same thing as a grown-up. Just for real.
Last night together with few friends I’ve put together a music and poetry night at a bar. We had some open mic performers, 3 amazing featured artists and some people who chose to spend their Wednesday night with us. Wait, let me rephrase that. Last night I’ve put together a real music and poetry night in a real bar. We had real open mic performers, 3 real featured artists, real emcee who charmed the crowd, finally some real people who were in a mood for a relaxing soulful Wednesday night.
No one told me grown-ups have more than enough time to play.
I don’t organise poetry and music nights for living. Don’t write about this on my business cards. Not because it’s a smart and responsible thing to do. Not because it would help me to pay my bills, advance in a career or in any other important things that adults do. I just did it because I felt like I would be a fun thing to do for me and those who would show up. And surely we all had fun,
I felt no different from when I was playing “a performance” as a kid. Yet knowing that this time it was all “for real” definitely adds to the excitement. And there is plenty of time to do that.
No one mentioned grown-ups can create to solve problems.
As grown up we get to do everything we ever wanted. I’m not talking about eating unlimited ice-cream and staying up all night to play. We do that. We enjoy that, yet we also do things which are way more fun.
We get to create. We get to create real things, that other people get to touch, experience, read, study, enjoy.
- A friend of mine has published a book that help leaders around the world to have a better understanding of their emotions.
- Another one is working to popularise classic opera in an entire country.
- A friend, my boyfriend , and another friend are all on their own independent journeys to help people to strengthen their minds while strengthening their bodies through yoga, breath work and healthy eating.
I can go on and on with this list.
We can create movements, influence opinions, shape ideas. We can choose to teach those ideas to our neighbours or to our nations. We can choose a problem that moves us and create something to addresses that problem.
No one said you will be always getting better at being a grown-up.
Every year we get to have more and more insights on how to make real things happen. How to get your book read by someone other than your parents. How to have someone, that you don’t know visiting your exhibition. How to build a software that people would use. We get to team up with other grown ups and together we get to create even more.
No one ever told me that being a grown-up would feel so amazing. That I would feel so much in power to create. That I would feel like staying up all night, playing and creating, enjoying the game and admiring the players that surround me. And that I would not care about that unlimited ice-cream all that much, after all.
Originally published at medium.com