12 Signs You're Growing Up

12 Reasons You Feel Old Enough To Be an Adult
But Not Quite Old Enough to Be Good At It

A Smattering by Yours Truly

1) Your vocabulary
The words "rent", "payday", "budget", and "busy" have replaced "lunch money", "allowance", "curfew", and "exhausted", but you haven't quite yet phased out "Mom! I need money!". 

2) Your habits are old habits

Your favorite movie as a child just produced a promising sequel and you have yet to see it in theatres, may even be planning on waiting for the RedBox.
"Oh. Yeah, I guess so..." says Person Who Dressed Up For Every Harry Potter.
"Why were you not at the midnight premiere in full costume?" says Person's reflection.
Person shrugs, and accepts that dressing up for animated movies is better suited for the screaming tweenagers and toddlers Person wanted to avoid by not seeing it in theatres.

3) Your social life

"I can't, I have to work." has become an acceptable and viable excuse for not going out. 

4) Your hours of operation
You have become aware of the establishments in your area that function on your time, which is any of the 24 hours in a given day. And you've needed them during each of the 24 hours.

5) You're good at numbers

Social Security

Credit Card

Drivers License
Phone (at least 7)

You have ALL OF THOSE NUMBERS memorized, as well as a few more. And you know which box to check on a W4, but still call your parents during tax season.

6) Your biological clock

You see a child, you want a child...

My ovaries ache.

...But know you cannot have a child. Nor do you actually want one, it's not practical, shut up instincts! No one likes you!

7) Your palette, and its associated skill set
Suddenly, Ramen and PBJ and EasyMac don't quite cut it. You know the intricacies of your oven, its quirks and shortcomings. You can season pasta sauce to perfection. You can convincingly lie about your ability to discern the difference between basil and oregano. You are an adult. 

An adult who still buys enough Easy Mac, Ramen, and PBJ to feed your college-student self for like, a day. Maybe. 

8) Your driving habits

No longer are you the extremely cautious, speed limit minding 15 year old just trying to pass your test and get your license. You have given yourself wholly to the driving gods, and kiss your sun visor under every yellow light. You shoot the gap and have driven 80 miles an hour through residential areas. 

But still call your parents when you get in trouble. 

9) Your reaction to music 

Suddenly you feel a distinct disconnect between your playlist and that of the younger generation, and are somewhat surprised when you hear anyone younger than 15 listening to anything remotely like your iPod. 

Or maybe it's when Thrift Shop comes on in the car when your nannying and the children sing along with the Kidz Bop version that you feel distinctly older. 

10) Your presence of authority

Little kids have no problem asking you for your professional opinion. They expect you to know the answers like their mommy would. 

Then you go and ask an adult before you answer them. 

11) Your humble abode

You have started living on your own. You cook, you kinda clean, you even decorated your own room. You buy your own groceries and pay your own rent, and then anxiously check your bank account and maybe call your parents for more money, just this once. 

12) You didn't prove me wrong.

Be honest. Am I really all that wrong?