tales of Suchita

The first time you’re told you are ‘now an adult’ is probably when you turn 16. By the time you’re 18, you are so ready to leave the word ‘child’ behind and step into the mesmerizing world of adulthood. When you hit 21 you realize what a mirage adulthood is and you secretly start to wish you were back in school. You cannot believe the problems that had felt insurmountable to you back then feel uncomplicated when compared to what you’re dealing with now (like which shampoo to buy or what is a good detergent).

It isn’t until you turn 26 that it suddenly hits you that okay now you’re definitely an adult. It’s like a switch that goes on and anyone younger whether by a year or five starts to feel tedious and too energetic. It it here that you realize you are now only going to get older and not younger. And to celebrate, here are 10 more such epiphanies:

1. Everybody seems to have an opinion on everything that you do, or don’t do. Like excuse me did I ask you to tell me, in detail, why what I’m wearing is wrong? Or that I am too comfortable in my job? It’s called the comfort zone for a reason – god!
2. Getting into a warped competition with your peers on whose life sucks more. And then telling each other that we’re here for you and laughing about how we’re never satisfied with where we are at the moment
3. The constant struggle between career, health, sleep, love, travel and money. We want it all – at the same time – all the time
4. Adulting can be hard. When you’re able to save and invest you feel like you are finally getting a hang of this shit. And then the next moment, all that bravado flushes down the toilet when you remove clothes from the washing machine and realize everything is blue – even your beautiful cream coloured bra
5. Fashion choices – gah! Managing the thin line that separates childish, cute, comfy and no-this-makes-me-look-too-old. Can nothing be straightforward for Pete’s sake?
6. Weekend – should I party, sleep, read or finish that pending task which will save me some time during the weekday which I can then use for binge watching a totally silly show instead of that amazing one everyone is raving about
7. Low tolerance for bullshit (especially immature bosses), other people’s drama and people who act like they know everything. No thank you. I do not want to hear how you’re struggling with something that has an easy solution – do you seriously not realize that you are the problem?!
8. Your circle of close people more often than not shrinks and where before it would have alarmed you, now you’re more than happy with the situation
9. Existential crises – now that you have some semblance of where you are going career-wise, everything else starts to rear its head to be heard: how am I giving back? What will be my legacy? Is work the only thing I’ll do? How will I realize all my dreams?
10. You start to understand yourself better – much to your own annoyance because sometimes you cannot believe just how stubborn you can be. Listen me, can you for once, stop trying to be a superhero and listen to your saner version? Please?

As a corollary, I’d like to add – you start to receive more functional gifts for birthdays. I remember a time when we gave each other prank gifts, or how we made a huge deal of giving surprise gifts. Now it’s Amazon vouchers, artsy soup bowls or candles that help soothe the nerves. Whether we like it or not, we most definitely have become adults and gosh I hate and love it.