Maybe it’s because I’m sitting down to write this at 6:57 AM on a gloomy Saturday morning and my first coffee is still brewing, but I am not okay with this whole “being a responsible grown-up” thing right now.
If I didn’t have adult responsibilities, I could still be in bed with my dogs, snoozing away until whenever I actually felt like getting up.
It would be blissful.
Of course, I know that there are plenty of upsides to being a grown-up too. Personal autonomy, for one thing.
Realistically, if I was still a child, I wouldn’t actually get to sleep in. My parents would have gotten me up eventually to make sure I didn’t throw off my sleeping schedule for the school week.
I wouldn’t have to get up at the crack of dawn, though…
Rationally, both childhood and adulthood have their pros and cons. Sure, as a kid, obligations like going to the office or paying bills don’t apply to you.
School is similar to work as a time commitment, but its importance is less concrete.
Yes, you need to work hard because good grades can make a big difference with your future prospects, but that’s a far more abstract consequence than “no paycheck, no home.”
Of course, now that I’ve woken up a bit more and the coffee is beginning to do its work, I can be more rational about things.
I don’t actually want to be a kid again. Childhood is difficult in its own ways, but still… I wish the world was a bit more willing to let us adults express our sheer frustration loudly and openly.
Because when I’m stressed and the grocery store doesn’t have my favorite treat in stock, I want to scream too.
Last Updated on July 11, 2020 by Amy Pilkington