#adulting

So there's a video on facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/attn/videos/1079636055405186/ ) That I saw and it really made me think.  After graduation and well into their 20s and 30s, many of today’s millennials continue to live childishly, so much so that the idea of behaving like an adult has become a joke with its own hashtag: #adulting.

Per Urban Dictionary (because that's the only place to find definitions for stupid made up words- like BAE)

Adulting (v): to do grown up things and hold responsibilities such as, a 9-5 job, a mortgage/rent, a car payment, or anything else that makes one think of grown ups.

Doing something grown-up and responsible

(**MY FAVORITE**) Being a responsible adult. Used by immature 20-somethings who are proud of themselves for paying a bill.

Most appropriately: Adulting (v): to carry out one or more of the duties and responsibilities expected of fully developed individuals (paying off that credit card debt, settling beef without blasting social media, etc). Exclusively used by those who adult less than 50% of the time.

We know, statistically, that the current "millennial" generation is not embracing the traditional role of adulthood. Couples are combining their Ikea furniture and shacking up instead of saying “I do” or putting off childbearing- and when they do have kids, a lot of them are doing so without committing first. Home ownership among young people is at historic lows- These days you seem "adult" if you rent, as opposed to being among the record-breaking 36 percent of youngsters still living with mom and dad.

That being said, here are some things that people consider "adulting":

- cooking and not setting off a fire alarm

- doing laundry BEFORE there are no clean clothes left

- remembering to get toilet paper while at the store

- using a GLASS glass instead of a solo cup (or using a wine/beer/whiskey glass instead of a solo cup... you get it)

- Paying bills (especially student loan debt)

- Going grocery shopping instead of take-out
- enrolling in a retirement plan (mostly through work)

- Buying a vacuum

- getting a debit or credit card (or going to Costco without mom and dad because you have your own card)
-doing anything other than having fun/minimal responsibilities

- eating healthy

- showering, eating breakfast, and getting to work in time ALL ON THE SAME DAY

- read a book instead of watched tv/scrolled social media

Some REAL adult things:
- paying taxes (property included)
- buying things to make your home livable (new water heater anyone?) instead of hobby items
- Managing your finances (which includes making sound financial decisions)
- renting or owning a place of your own
- having reliable transportation
- having a respectable wardrobe (CR is cheap and cute but their demographic is 15-21 year olds and you're 25 so... you shouldn't be shopping there) (also- spending a little extra on a prominent piece in your wardrobe is an INVESTMENT)
-managing your health via healthy eating and some degree of exercise

The devolution of adulthood is about more than just financial struggle. REAL Adults lived through times like the Great Depression, and they did not behave like children. A normal adult, when facing tough circumstances- whether cause by war or rampant joblessness or poverty- have historically been forced to grow up faster and take on more responsibility earlier.

I think the bottom line is that we seem to think that some basic human necesitties in life are "adulting" when in reality they are things you need to do to survive and preserve your well being.

Being able to cook yourself a meal is a NECESITY. We are no longer neanderthals, we can handle our shit. It's not "adulting", it's living, it is LIFE.

Being able to clothe and shelter yourself is a necesity- and that includes paying the bills that go along with it. Which also includes working a job that will pay those bills. All have to be in sync and done successfully for you to survive. 

While #adulting is funny sometimes (I admit, I have used it...), it's also not really meant as a joke by most people who use it. They really think they are doing something that is hard and out of the ordinary- otherwise, they wouldn't think twice about it. Actual adulthood will harden you up eventually, one way or another. So why not be the one who chooses to grow up on your own terms, rather than someone else’s? If you do, don’t be surprised when you find that the perks of choosing adulthood over “adulting” send you hurtling into an adventure far more exciting than endlessly Instagrammed parties and brunches. And seriously, dinner parties served in Tupperware end up with messes on the carpet and loss of security deposits.... come on people. Grow up.