adulthood. hello?

Preface:

After writing this, I found that it ends up sounding a bit ego-centrical or narcissistic (a word I am still practicing using). I don't mean for it to sound that way, I just wanted to share some observations with you. And they are about me. Maybe someday I will laugh at these very ideas, but I'm okay with that.

Back in the day, which was a Wednesday, I was a sophomore in college. I mean I was a sophomore for more than one day, but you get the gist. My fascination with developmental psychology and consequent minor led me to take Adult Developmental Psych. I was enthralled with the concept of "emerging adulthood" which essentially means that there is no social norm for humans who have been on this earth between eighteen and thirty years. I found it fascinating that people who were in their late twenties still did not feel like "adults". There really was no standard time when people felt like they had crossed that threshold line to be "grown-ups". In fact, the only consistent predictor of it was whether or not the person had their own children. Generally, people who are married with kids feel like adults. I have found this to be true.

Well, this week I realized that I feel like an adult. Despite having a renewed enthusiasm and childlike appreciation of all things awesome (squishy mud, ramps instead of stairs, that extra crunchy leaf, bouncy balls, giant exercise balls, bubble wrap... you get the idea), I have been awakened to a growing sense of self. I can thank my parents (thanks!) for acting as somewhat of a foil for my discovery that I am different. We are family, but I have discovered that our relationship is more one of three separate people than as parent-kid. Perhaps this is because I have somewhat of a range of experiences now that are not shared with anyone. This is quite formative.

I still think the idea that people exist outside of communities that shaped them is a lie. We exist in a web of relationships, links to God, people, nature. However I have started to see my own individuality.