Sunday, February 26, 2012
Week 7, Adulthood
This week coincides with an important milestone in my life, turning 25.What a perfect week to read about the emergence of adulthood. I've been joking that I'm having a "quarter-life crisis", as I'm acutely aware of the fact that, at 25, I'm not a kid anymore. I'm much better able to take care of myself, yes, but I still don't "feel" like an adult, and I'm not sure if you ever really do. The ideas this week about adulthood in our country not being marked by one "rite of passage" and instead occurring at different ages depending on many factors, rings especially true. Reading about the changes that occur in thinking styles in adulthood, I feel like I am exactly where I need to be. It is interesting to be able to see your own development in this manner. I definitely use much more emotion within logic than I ever did, and the text really made me see how I had made this shift, without even realizing it. I see now why this class is required for so many of our programs. It has an incredible amount of information to help you understand both other people, as well as yourself.
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Happy Birthday!As far as your comment, "I'm not a kid anymore. I'm much better able to take care of myself, yes, but I still don't "feel" like an adult, and I'm not sure if you ever really do" is concerned, I think you summed it up quite well. I find that my decision making skills and priorities have changed over the years. The things I once thought of as important really don't matter as much as they used to and my ability to focus on what I find valuable in life has grown by leaps and bounds over the last five years or so. With that being said, I'm not quite sure what it means to feel like an adult. I wonder if this is because I'm not a parent or if it has to do with the fact that my friends range in age from their early twenties into their fifties (some are parents and some are not.) I have always been a bit of a late bloomer so who knows, maybe that "adult feeling" is just around the corner. I'm really not all that concerned about it. For now, I'm a responsible,contributing member of society that makes (for the most part) sound decisions. Hopefully that will do for the time being. :)
ReplyDeleteFor me it has been a very gradual shift in the way that I think and my ability to make good decisions for myself. It's been so slow I've hardly even realized that it's happening. Most of the time I still feel the same as I always have, but now and then I'll stop and think about how far I've come. I bought new silverware this week and I had the thought that 5 years ago I would never have been this excited to have new (matching!) silverware :)
DeleteHappy Birthday Angela! Welcome to the fascinating period of emerging adulthood. The feeling of in-between (not a kid anymore, but still don't feel like an adult) is normal. Enjoy exploring all the possibilities...:)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on 25! I wish I had been in this class at your age. I think I’d make it mandatory for any potential mate too. Reading about kids development, and all the topics we cover in class gives me more and more incentive to share that with others, and look at behavior in relation to stages and possible backgrounds people and kids may be experiencing. I look forward to working with more people and how I might apply some of this new knowledge. As others mention, being an adult (or even feeling like one) isn’t easy. No need to rush it.
ReplyDeleteThank you. This is really the perfect time for me to be in this class, as I'm really trying to figure out what I want my life to be. This material should be mandatory for every college degree!
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