Daily Prompt: When was the first time you really felt like a grown up (if ever)?
It was about a week or so after I graduated college.
Technically, I hadn’t actually graduated yet. I still had to complete one of my courses, but that was a matter of just turning in a project. Considering that I had already gone through the graduation ceremony, it was only a minor detail.
Back on subject…
The night of my graduation, my parents had taken me to the supermarket for a mega shopping trip. I stocked up on food items that would provide me with nourishment for the rest of my days.
More anything? More everything! (Photo source: Flickr)
Or so I thought.
One night, I was sitting on my couch watching television when I noticed that it was around the time people normally ate dinner. I thought to myself: “Guess I should figure out what I am eating tonight.”
And then I realized that I had absolutely no clue what I was going to eat for dinner.
Up until that point in my life, my meals had almost always been provided for me. When I lived at home, there was always ample food on hand, and my parents cooked dinner for the family. When I was at school, all I had to do was go to the dining halls and swipe my student ID, and my food was magically paid for.
Just put it on my “Mommy and Daddy Express card!” (Photo source: Flickr)
Unfortunately, neither of those options were available to me anymore.
Since graduation, I had been living off that earlier grocery store trip and fast food. Even in those days I knew that eating out every night wasn’t a viable option. I was actually *gasp* going to have to purchase and prepare my own food!
I don’t handle change especially well, so I certainly didn’t like the sound of this new reality. People aren’t going to be preparing my meals for me? If I swipe my student ID people won’t just give me anything I ask for?
I was living in the middle of Washington DC with no car, so there weren’t any supermarkets I could go to. So I walked to the local grocery store and stocked up on pasta, frozen meals, and other food items I could easily prepare.
Eventually, I got the hang of it. I began to buy food that wasn’t always processed, and I even became slightly concerned with the nutritional value of what I was putting into my body.
And years later, I did the really smart thing and found a wife who would do most of the cooking for me! I’m anxiously awaiting whatever sure to be delicious meal she’ll whip up tonight.
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You’re so funny. It’s cute that you think that I’m actually going to have something waiting for you when you get home.
No, that would be a ridiculous assumption since I’ll likely be getting home early. Feel free to take your time and have it ready by like 6:15.
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Oh, I love this! What a great take on being grown-up–such a simple thing but so huge in life.
Although part of me wishes I could still just get Chinese food or Burger King every night and be okay with it.
I’m finding a theme in the blogosphere that calls for associating adulthood with finding/preparing/paying for one’s own food. True story. I enjoyed your post!
Well, it’s a huge adjustment sometimes. And we all gotta eat!
I guess the first time I felt grown up was when I saw a bill with my name on it. *Shudders*
The worst part about growing up is that as a kid I was so convinced that when I was an adult all I would ever eat for dinner would be chocolate bars and potato chips. Then you grow up and you don’t wanna do that anymore anyway, such a pity!
Great post, that “where’s the food” moment lol, thanks for sharing
All the best!
Rohan.
I still kind of “want” to eat chocolate bars and potato chips for dinner. Unfortunately, I also have this part of my brain that tells me, “Ya know, maybe that’s not a good idea.”
I love food… This post has made me hungry!
Great…as long as you don’t expect me to make you anything. It’s tough enough working that out for myself.
Understood.
Hadn’t even considered that aspect of this prompt. What about the first shave? The first night away from “home?” So many other ways to consider that transition into being a “grown up.” The food thing though, I guess was never really a problem for me – in the scouts we were planning, buying, and cooking our own meals for weekend excursions from ten years old…
I mean it wasn’t like I never prepared my own meal before, but it was more the whole “oh wait, I gotta do this every night?” realization.
Ohhhh, I get it know. Yeah. That one still hits me sometimes when I come home to the empty house (wife works nights) and we don’t have any leftovers. Ugh! What can I find in the fridge tonight?