I thought I was hot stuff the minute I earned my first pay check.
I spent half a summer telemarketing and I hated every second of it, but the pay check at the end of each week was awesome. It made me believe that I didn’t need anyone or anything to make it in the world. School schmool. As long as I could make money, I would be alright. At 17, that’s what I thought it was all about.
The problem was I actually enjoyed school and I believed what my parents were telling me: I could make a lot more money if I had an education. Win-win!
I thought I was hot stuff the moment I graduated from high school.
I thought the friends I had then, I’d be friends with forever. I thought I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life and was completely full of myself. In reality, I didn’t have a clue in my head who I was or what my place in the world would be.
Luckily there was college… the epitome of hot suff!
I partied my ass off, attended class most days (as long as they didn’t interfere with my soaps), changed my major four times, held a part time job and thought I was learning everything I’d ever need to know about the world around me.
Now that I had a degree under my belt, I quickly found out I was more lost than ever.
No longer having school to fall back on, it was time to get a real job… a career.
I accepted the first $22,000/year job offered to me and felt very much like an adult. I was making decisions left and right about my life; how to spend my time, money and energy, I was paying rent and choosing where to shop, vacation and whether to call it a night or have another drink, knowing full well that I’d be hung over in the morning as I sat in a mandatory meeting.
But by golly, finally I was an adult!
Or so I thought.
I gained years, perspective and experience, but it wasn’t until almost 12 years later, when I had my son that I truly felt like a grown up.
It wasn’t until I was responsible for another person’s health, safety, well being and comfort, that I felt grown up.
It wasn’t until I loved to my heart’s fullest capacity that I grew up.
I can go from zero to irate in less than 38 seconds so while I may still be working on my maturity level, I am definitely a grown up now and my son thinks I’m hot stuff!
This post was written for Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop, Prompt 1.) The moment I realized I was a grown up, inspired by…(drum roll, please) yours truly! Thanks, Kat. 🙂
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Funny how having a child changes our lives.
Sometimes I still don't feel like an adult (which is why I couldn't write your prompt).
Hi! Visiting from Mama Kat's… I also don't necessarily feel like an adult, although I suppose I am one. I used to have a little girl who thought I was hot stuff, but now I have a middle-schooler who thinks I am totally embarrassing. 🙂
Love this. I had many of these same feelings when I was younger. Great job.
You are hot stuff!! But I agree, I think once I actually became responsible for another human being's well being….I didn't really grow up!
Such a relatable post! I feel like I'll be a "hot stuff" child until a child in my life makes me become a grown up.
Having a child always changes your reality, that's for sure! I used to think the friends I had in high school, were the friends I'd have forever too.
Okay, you are the first person I've come across that did telemarketing in high school, too (other than the girl I worked with!).
I enjoyed your post!! One of the beauties of having a boy is that he will think you're HOT STUFF a lot longer than a girl would. At least that's how my deal is going with a 14 year old daughter and an 11 year old boy!
so much truth in your post today, i felt so many of those same things. and i agree that I felt more grown up than ever, despite the schooling and job having, when I gave birth to my first child.
I totally agree with this. Nothing like having kids to make us really feel grown up and responsible, even when we already thought we knew it all.
I still don't feel quite grown up, even with a husband and two boys. Visiting from the writers workshop
I think when they told us we could take JDaniel home from the hospital we felt very much like adults.
I found the same thing. I waited to have kids til I was 37 and still didn't feel grown up til I had my son. And even now, I feel like a kid when I visit my own parents. Family colors everything.
it's so true. knowing i have a huge responsibility for another human being and what that means – made me know I was really a grown up.
Love this! 🙂 It's funny how we think we're so grown-up when we are young, and years later we realize how silly we were.
There are still many days I don't feel like a grown-up, at the age of 46! So I totally get this….loved it!
I didn't really feel like an adult until my kid started rolling her eyes at me. LOL