When Does "Adulthood" Happen?

When I was 10, I thought that by the time I was 23, I would pretty much have it all figured out. By "figured out", I mean that I would be living in an apartment somewhere with a job and a fiance or something. When I was 10, a 20-something seemed like a real person. 13 years later, I still kind of feel like I'm stuck in that 10-year-old's body, except hopefully with a little better idea how to wear eyeliner.

When does adulthood happen? Do I wake up one morning and all of a sudden, I'm an adult? I'm not even really sure what I'm considered right now. I wouldn't say I'm a girl, and a lady seems like I should be drinking tea out of a little cup with paisley prints on it. Family members have been writing on cards that "I'm turning into a wonderful young woman" for the last few years, so I guess we'll go with that. Young woman. Hm.

So, getting to adulthood. To me, adulthood means knowing how to do taxes. It means driving a minivan to take your two kids to soccer practice. Adults know how to set up the cable and they typically know the answer to basically anything. My mom is proof. That woman knows everything.

But me? I'm 23, which I thought would mean adulthood thirteen years ago. Now I'm not too sure. I can't set up a PayPal account. I completely wiped out in the shower the other day for no good reason. I accidentally locked my online bank account last week because I couldn't spell the security question answer. (It was the name of my elementary school. Doof.) I just graduated from learning how to turn the stove off when I'm finished cooking. I can't navigate myself anywhere without the use of mapquest and I couldn't figure out how to calculate a mortgage on my math homework last night.

I got my first credit card last week, so I guess we're off to a start.

I propose that there be some kind of an Adult Genie. This Genie would present us with a handbook of all things dealing with being an adult, a functioning human being. That would be helpful.

Adulthood is weird. I think I speak for most of us 20-somethings when I say that. Maybe one day, I'll wake up and it will all make sense. I'll have it all "figured out". But, maybe it won't just happen like that. Maybe adulthood means figuring it out as you go. So, here goes nothing!