Saturday, February 09, 2008

What Was Adulthood?

Remember when you looked at adulthood through the lens of childhood?

When I was a kid, I imagined that being an adult meant you got to live like this:

Adulthood Exhibit A

and this:

Adulthood Exhibit B

Essentially, you got to party all the time, drink special drinks that kids are not allowed to have, eat whatever you wanted, have special Adult Conversations and do Mysterious Adult Activities (there has to be something more to that picnic blanket than meets the eye), go to the bank and get wads of cash, wear special sexy outfits without your mom's permission, watch the best movies and say all the Adult Words (meaning the s-word, the b-word, and sundry) without getting punished.

You had a certain understanding of things, and you got to revel in it. That's how I understood adulthood, as a child.

What did you think it meant to be an adult?

8 comments :

  1. I don't know but them ads is funny.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I was pretty into being a kid and never gave much thought to being an adult.

    But those ads are unreal. I think I might start a blog dedicated to me singing the reunite song every day with slight variations.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous3:28 PM

    I can't really remember how I viewed adulthood as a kid, except that I knew it meant fewer required naps.

    I do know that I felt that I had passed a critical milestone when, in 1989, I picked up the tab for a dinner with my folks. Ah, American Express. Is there anything you *can't* do?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous9:12 PM

    You went to work and did a job and complained about it too much. My idea of adulthood has instantiated itself precisely.

    LOL at the Riunite picnic woman eating the hot dog with the look of rapt concentration.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hey Lindemann!! What a nice surprise.

    I like your blog idea, Hans. It's catchy, no?

    The real memory I had of Reunite was of a silhouetted couple at sunset clinking glasses (probably on a boat), but I couldn't find that one. I think it was print.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Whoops, I meant RIunite, not REunite. God, sorry.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous7:07 PM

    I pictured adulthood EXACTLY like you did (although more rock than disco).

    I remember age 18, my sister dropping me off at college, I put my stuff up in my dorm room, sat on my bed and said to myself 'my life just got dramatically better.'

    You know what? It was true. I've partied exactly like those Riunite commercials, and wouldn't trade my adulthood for anything in the world.

    Thanks Christina!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous7:34 AM

    I, too, thought life would include ski and sailing vacations with with all of our dear friends, memberships at great clubs, three children, a fabulous husband and a seat on the board of important charities.

    Some of this has happened, and some won't (two children is just right, thank you). Our youngest is 2, and we're planning our first ski vacation with our best friends for February 2009 (when said youngest will be old enough for the SkiWee program). I fully expect lots of wine and laughter, but we'll probably end up with four children who hate SkiWee and at least two of the adults in casts and the other two with frostbite.

    We better book our friends' au pair to work that vacation!

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.