Somehow I imagined that one day I would grow up. I used to look at women who were the same age I am today, or even younger, and imagine that I too would somehow be transformed into a sophisticated competent career women, elegantly dressed, balancing home and work without a ruffle of my carefully lacquered hair.
I thought it would happen without any effort on my part. At some point I would just realize that I had arrived and taken my place in the world of grown ups. Half a century later and I still don't know what that means. Somehow I have become a wife, a mother, a career woman (whatever that means) without ever having grown up. I joke about what I might do with my life when I do finally grow up.
Dom and Amy both talk about feeling grown up when they have had to take responsibility for other peoples lives, even though that meant putting themselves in a place of opposition with their peers. But both of them want to retain that feeling of freedom and exploration, that seems an antithesis to being a 'grown-up".
We said farewell to my research fellow at the end of August, who claimed she was moving on to her grown up life. Good luck with that Allison. Let me know when you've figured out what that is; bottle it and send me some to sprinkle on my muesli.
