What happened? I must have blinked.
We had our niece and nephew over tonight. We went on a hike, ate hotdogs and smores on a camp fire, told stories in the dark, and caught lightening bugs.
But actually, I didn’t catch the lightening bugs. The kids did, while I sat quietly by the fire, occasionally emitting an approving, “Ahhh!” or “Wow!”
And as I watched them running around, giggling in the dark after the little specks of light, and then tucked them in the tent with dad and left them to go sleep in the house w/ the youngest, I realized that I had grown up.
And I don’t remember that happening…
Hello Becky,
I don’t know if your experience can equate to mine. I was seventeen, in about my third week of Army basic training, and it occured to me that I was acting more mature than the twenty and twentyfive year olds who were there with me. And I asked myself the question, is this It? Is this all there is? It was a very profound and sobering moment in my life that I will not forget. Had I grown up? There was still much for me to learn and experience, but as far as my feeling of becomimg an adult, it was the moment. Wecome to the club!
Pop
Yes, I had a similar experience when I was working, shortly after highschool. I had left work to go to the dentist. I was driving along Allisonville, windows down on a beautiful day, and thinking, “Wow, I’m a grown up!” That feeling, however, was more of a liberation feeling. Now its more of an age thing.
I think kids pushed it to another level though. After posting this, I also remembered another time this summer at the Hogan Reunion when all the kids were running around playing and I just wanted to sit and talk to Grandma – it had happened. I was one of the old ones at the reunion just sitting and talking.
And I’m pretty sure I’m ok with that…
After college, when I moved to Indy and started my career, I was at the grocery store one night. As I pushed the cart back to the car, I thought, wow, I am really on my own now. Grocery carts- profound…
Thanks for sharing!