Life 101
Raise your electronic hand if you still feel 19 inside.
Yeah, me too. That is until I actually run into current 19-year-olds and mistake them for junior high students. Then it hits me (as I rapidly approach 34) - I truly am not 19 anymore.
When I was younger I thought I knew everything. Maybe being an adult is realizing that you don't know everything and won't know everything and accepting it. I'm still trying to puzzle that one out.
I've certainly got the trappings of adulthood - the mortgage, groaning about car repairs, the To Do List. Yet there are times when I feel like I'm almost an actress in a play. Who is this person - I catch myself asking at times. Who is this girl gulping a SlimFast shake on her morning commute while trying to track down a muffler shop for my ailing catalytic converter? What happened? Where did she come from? I don't rememeber a college class about this.
As a matter of fact, I propose the following class for freshman college students, to be mandated as a core curriculum requirement. It would cover the following helpful life tips:
1. How to select an appropriate bank, mechanic, realtor, etc.
2. How to figure out how many deductions to take on your W-2 and what that will mean (maybe they covered this in the business classes, but we sure didn't cover it in the English dept.)
3. How to do an interview. Professionally. Seriously. Not like that poor guy who walked in, totally clueless, in his flipflops and nose ring. Did I mention the Bob Marley print t-shirt?
4. How to make that transition from realizing your college major will not be your lifelong job - how to morph it into another profession.
5. How to break up with someone gracefully.
6. How to maintain your dignity when your heart is broken.
7. How to unclog a bathroom toilet. Very, very useful.
8. How to effectively hang curtain rods.
9. How to create a meal that does not consist of Ramen noodles and Doritos.
10. How to react when your car breaks down.
11. How to change a diaper. Effectively. Not put it on backwards.
12. How to handle stupid sexist comments from stupid sexist men. (Not all men, mind you, just that idiot at the gas station wearing brown Birkenstocks with black socks up to his knee.)
13. How to handle rude waiters.
14. How to handle nice waiters, i.e. - you're an adult now - TIP!
15. How to realize you've had enough.
16. How to say "no" when one more "worthy cause" asks for a favor.
17. And not feel guilty about it.
18. How to evaluate the best gym membership.
19. How to schedule time alone with God into every day.
20. How to successfully transition from being someone's child to being that person's friend.
I told my mother that I feel 19 inside on some days.
"Oh honey, I do too."
Maybe I'm normal after all.
Yeah, me too. That is until I actually run into current 19-year-olds and mistake them for junior high students. Then it hits me (as I rapidly approach 34) - I truly am not 19 anymore.
When I was younger I thought I knew everything. Maybe being an adult is realizing that you don't know everything and won't know everything and accepting it. I'm still trying to puzzle that one out.
I've certainly got the trappings of adulthood - the mortgage, groaning about car repairs, the To Do List. Yet there are times when I feel like I'm almost an actress in a play. Who is this person - I catch myself asking at times. Who is this girl gulping a SlimFast shake on her morning commute while trying to track down a muffler shop for my ailing catalytic converter? What happened? Where did she come from? I don't rememeber a college class about this.
As a matter of fact, I propose the following class for freshman college students, to be mandated as a core curriculum requirement. It would cover the following helpful life tips:
1. How to select an appropriate bank, mechanic, realtor, etc.
2. How to figure out how many deductions to take on your W-2 and what that will mean (maybe they covered this in the business classes, but we sure didn't cover it in the English dept.)
3. How to do an interview. Professionally. Seriously. Not like that poor guy who walked in, totally clueless, in his flipflops and nose ring. Did I mention the Bob Marley print t-shirt?
4. How to make that transition from realizing your college major will not be your lifelong job - how to morph it into another profession.
5. How to break up with someone gracefully.
6. How to maintain your dignity when your heart is broken.
7. How to unclog a bathroom toilet. Very, very useful.
8. How to effectively hang curtain rods.
9. How to create a meal that does not consist of Ramen noodles and Doritos.
10. How to react when your car breaks down.
11. How to change a diaper. Effectively. Not put it on backwards.
12. How to handle stupid sexist comments from stupid sexist men. (Not all men, mind you, just that idiot at the gas station wearing brown Birkenstocks with black socks up to his knee.)
13. How to handle rude waiters.
14. How to handle nice waiters, i.e. - you're an adult now - TIP!
15. How to realize you've had enough.
16. How to say "no" when one more "worthy cause" asks for a favor.
17. And not feel guilty about it.
18. How to evaluate the best gym membership.
19. How to schedule time alone with God into every day.
20. How to successfully transition from being someone's child to being that person's friend.
I told my mother that I feel 19 inside on some days.
"Oh honey, I do too."
Maybe I'm normal after all.
posted by Lisa | 7:57 AM
3 Comments:
There are some worthy lessons in here. Great list.
I couldn't have said it better myself. We're on the same wave length this week my friend!:)
http://pearlsandjulesofwisdom.blogspot.com/
~Jules
Anne and Jules - Thanks! There is so much more I could add, but I thought it best to leave it at that!
-Shell
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