4.24.2006


The older you get, the more you get to realize that you are becoming your own person. That you're really an adult now.

You go home, and the tendency for the parents is to treat you like a child - for the siblings to treat you like the same old brother. But that's not what you are to the rest of the world anymore.

Out there, you're now "sir" to the kids at the fast food joint or the grocery store or the gas station. There was that period where there was an awkward pause when they went to adddress you - they realized you probably weren't that much older than them and then they weren't sure quite what to call you. But that's long gone. These days, you are a "sir." The world expects you to pay your bills on time and show up at work regularly and clothe and feed yourself and drive somewhere close to the speed limit and a number of other things that all the rest of the adults are doing. And you manage to accomplish most of these things with some regularity.

But not at home. At home your expectations haven't changed much at all. You can still act like a kid. Sometimes you even do...but its not who you really are anymore. After a little while you need to go back to facing the world on your own.

Its like...there's at least one part of home that you can never go back to.

3 comments:

none said...

It really bugs me that people call me "ma'am" now. Since when does 23 qualify me for ma'am? And yet, as you say, my family still treats me like I'm 16. I suppose it all balances out somehow. :)

QOS said...

I was picking up a bottle of wine the other day, and the 12-year-old cashier didn't ID me.

It was a life-changing moment.

Sniff.

madscientist said...

I wish I had that problem. I'm 24, but everyone thinks I'm 16. Everytime a salesman comes to my door he asks to speak to my parents!
I'm not in a rush to look old, atleast 20!