Grown up?

[James_B]

What does "Grown Up" mean?

I'm 19 years old and all the little 16 year olds I work with at this grocery store make me feel old. I like getting wasted and partying just as much as they do but I can't do it as much right now because I'm in school and have no money. I'm not grown up I still work at a grocery store. Last night I watched Grey's Anatomy with my girlfriend.......*** when did I get a girlfriend? Tuesday night I watched the new James Bond movie with my friend and his girlfriend. *** when did he get a girlfriend? I'm worried about gas prices now and car insurance. I care about my school and my grades. I want to perform well at work and take pride in things I do. Did I grow up? What is next in my life a career and wife and family

I get frighten sometimes when I think how I'm growning up. I want to run away to New Zealand. My Dad is barking at me about a career now. Before it was just "graduate from high school!!" Now I need to worry about a career.

I spend hours a week playing my acoustic guitar alone in my basement and just think about things. My mom now says that what I like to do in my free time. When did music become free time? Music is my boat in a bottle now. It was a way of life before does it stop being a way of life?

I'm scared of what is to come. I want to play in the snow, then play the pokemon board game.........like I did last year

[Captain Chaos]

I wish I was 16 again.

[PSPookie]

Wait until you graduate and get a real job, and then married, and then buy a house, and then have a kid. One day I woke up, paid my mortgage, changed a diaper, and said to myself: "When the crap did I turn into a responsible adult?"

It creeps up on you in a thousand little ways. The strangest part about it all is that it doesn't feel strange.

[artistanbul]

on the bright side, there won't be a school anymore.

[DudeistMonk]

Wait till you work in a giant room filled with small gray cubes...filled with despair and office knickknacks.

The real world will drain every drop of energy you have but if you refuse to give up your freedom you won't be able to afford to raise kids, send them to school, buy your potential wife that ring, or have a roof over your head when your 70.

[Stumbo]

It's the American way.

You gotta find a way to support yourself. Doing "fun" things are great but if you don't get edumacated, it'll be tough to have any kind of decent life style, especially when you have to pay for your food/utilities/housing/insurance/etc. yourself.

[James_B]

Originally Posted by PSPookie

It creeps up on you in a thousand little ways. The strangest part about it all is that it doesn't feel strange.

See lines like that make me want to run away

When do you give up you're freedom? I'm not a number I'm a free man

I won't be doing the office thing. I'm going to school to be an Lab Technologist.

The worst is my older brother is an engineer and I like to make fun of him because of that. Then I was talking to a former physics teacher and he is like "Yeah, you know you engineer students are under alot of stress but just keep at it". I went stoned faced and dreaded the thought of becoming a dry humorless engineer like all the ones I know.

My dad told me to grow up today because I made a joke about the name "Johnson Insurance". I laughed

[Unrepresented]

Honestly, despite being in my late 20's I don't feel like an adult.

I see "old people" -- y'know folks who act like adults-- and am like "whoa, dude. You're like an adult" or whatever, and hang back and act respectful or childish, whatever the situation calls for.

I have my own apartment, a full time job at a company I've worked at for a decade, a college degree, a live-in girlfriend of multiple years, a pension and 401K I'm paying into, and y'know what? I still just feel like a kid in an adult world.

I'm not sure if everyone else is a poseur or if I'm just immature. Maybe kids'll change my POV. Meh.

[EricF]

I didn't feel grown-up until I became a parent (30). I got even more grown-up when I got divorced (32). At 40, wish I I could act less grown up on occasion, but my body aches too bad.

If you think you're grown-up at 19, you're not. Trust me on that. No matter how you feel now, in 20 years you'll say, "That old dude on TB was right!"

[PSPookie]

Originally Posted by James_B

See lines like that make me want to run away

When do you give up you're freedom? I'm not a number I'm a free man

I won't be doing the office thing. I'm going to school to be an Lab Technologist.

The worst is my older brother is an engineer and I like to make fun of him because of that. Then I was talking to a former physics teacher and he is like "Yeah, you know you engineer students are under alot of stress but just keep at it". I went stoned faced and dreaded the thought of becoming a dry humorless engineer like all the ones I know.

My dad told me to grow up today because I made a joke about the name "Johnson Insurance". I laughed

I don't recall ever saying that I gave up my freedom. Rather I was trying to get across that I have gradually grown into my responsibilities.

BTW becoming an engineer doesn't necessarily rob you of a sense of humor or joi de vivre -- it's just that many people who choose that path lack those things to begin with. Take it from an engineer (power lines) who is married to another engineer (aeronautics).

[Elrend]

Growing up basically means meeting the expectations of modern western society.

[Scarlet Fire]

Yeah, once you graduate college, it's pretty much all downhill.

[spade2you]

Originally Posted by Scarlet Fire

Yeah, once you graduate college, it's pretty much all downhill.

That's one way of looking at it. I've met individuals who at 18 had their ducks in a row and people in their 30s and 40s who probably will never grow up.

Originally Posted by Elrend

Growing up basically means meeting the expectations of modern western society.

Says who? I'm having more fun each year.

[Elrend]

Originally Posted by spade2you

That's one way of looking at it. I've met individuals who at 18 had their ducks in a row and people in their 30s and 40s who probably will never grow up.



Says who? I'm having more fun each year.

No it is. When someone tells you to "Grow up" it means meeting the stereotypical expectations of society.

[pedroims]

im 35, married , two kids.

I drink beer as any teenager, even better because I stopped drinking crappy beeer many years ago, plus I have a beatiful woman to make love with, plus two beatiful kids.

My wife and kids went to the church tonite , in the meantime I am drinking beer and triying to figure out how to make these led lights and dmx controller work ( I am going to donate and install them in my church) I also want to put a new set of sadowsky flats in my pj sadowsky, my valenti should be here anytime next month, I am travelling to Sydney and New Zealand next month ....some days I miss those crazy years when I was 16 but to be honest I am still the same crazy misfit guy.... I am 35 and life still goes on

[CerealKiller]

I honestly feel for the OP.

It is a lot tougher now to make it on your own than it was when I was his age (almost 20 years ago.......yikes).

[Blankwall]

I feel the same way man. im 18 almost 19 and just the other day i was like holy sh*t im in the military. life hits you fast sometimes take it and run woith it embrace it dont be afraid.

[newbold]

If you can make a living making music then put the effort in and do it.
If you can work with artists, or in the media/arts then do it.

If you don't want that as a career/lifestyle then do something else, but don't confuse yourself into thinking that your passions are less important than anything else.

Make the most of the opportunities that come your way and you'll be growing up without thinking about it.

[Jiggybass]

Originally Posted by newbold

If you can make a living making music then put the effort in and do it.
If you can work with artists, or in the media/arts then do it.

If you don't want that as a career/lifestyle then do something else, but don't confuse yourself into thinking that your passions are less important than anything else.

Make the most of the opportunities that come your way and you'll be growing up without thinking about it.

+ 100 000.

I'm 19, and although I feel I am more mature having moved out, and going to college, I do not feel as I have grown up at all. In fact, I feel as if now more than ever I have so much to look forwards too. Enjoy yourself now, and don't worry all too much all the time. You only live once, so live it up!

[FaceDown3000]

"being grown up" depends on the individual. Generally when u r financial independant from ur parents (education done, got a job/ur own place to stay) and maybe got some responsability u r sorta grown up. That doesn't mean u don't develope any more tho and it doesn't mean u r mentally grown up.

Originally Posted by James_B

I'm scared of what is to come.

No need to b it's coming anyway, just do u best whatever u do. Just be ready to make a step to the side when a piece of s**t comes flying in ur direction

Oh, and stop doing this it won't get u anywhere unless u r a girl.