Adult content

Calvin: The TV listings say this movie has “adult situations.” What are adult situations?
Hobbes: Probably things like going to work, paying bills and taxes, taking responsibilities...
Calvin: Wow, they don’t kid around when they say “for mature audiences.”
Hobbes: I’ve never understood how those movies make any money.

Today I filed my taxes and then cleaned my room without being told. I realized that there are a few things that really signify that one has reached that "adult" stage of life. I made a mental list of a few of them.



1. Filing taxes (I hate this)

2. Eating vegetables voluntarily (I don't remember when I really started eating (and enjoying) all those things I thought were "gross" as a kid. When I go to the grocery store these days I buy almost exclusively "healthy food", and no one is even making me do it, or telling me I can't buy candy and ice cream! Not at all how I thought things would go when I was a little kid, daydreaming about the freedom I would someday have as a grown-up...)

3. Having a "change jar" (When I was little and I would go into my aunts'/uncles'/parents' bedrooms they would always have a jar or cup or something full of pennies, dimes, nickles, quarters, and maybe a few odd dollar bills. I would always look at it in amazement that they had SO MUCH money kicking around that it would just accumulate in a cup on the dresser. I wondered why they didn't spend it, and I was blown away by the fact that they seemed to not even realize the great riches that were right in front of them. One of my aunts used to give me pennies all the time because she said she hated them, and I couldn't understand why anyone would hate money. As I was cleaning my room just now I noticed my Star Trek glass nearly full to the brim with spare change, and I stopped for a second and realized I had somehow passed that "grow-up" milestone in life without even noticing.)

4. Choosing an aisle seat in the airplane (When I was little I always wanted a window seat and I didn't understand why people coveted the aisle so much. Why would they want to sit there when they could be LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW!!! I thought adults were complete morons for this. These days when I fly I try to get an aisle every time. (Maybe I am now a complete moron?) I wonder if that's because I've lost some of my childhood sense of excitement and discovery... I hope not. (Note when I was flying to La Serena from Santiago I did request a window because I wanted to see the mountains as we flew over them... then I ended up being on the wrong side of the plane so I saw the ocean instead.))

hmm... I guess I only thought of 4. I know there are more, but maybe I have yet to achieve some of them. We will see.