People Open Up About 30 Things About Becoming An Adult That Caught Them Completely Off Guard
For many of us, the adult world seemed different from our own while growing up. Most adults were knowledgeable and skilled, they were able to deal with any situation all while exhibiting unequaled levels of confidence. Their considerations were somewhat elevated to a more serious level even if it was about which color item to choose… Or at least it seemed so to us. We felt that even though there was no way we could exhibit such features at the moment, there will come a day when a magic reversal will come upon us and we will know exactly what to do. Needless to say, the world turned out to be more complex and not giving out its secrets for free at a certain designated age.
These people are sharing their experiences of being an adult that took them by surprise, answering one Redditor’s question, “What about becoming an adult caught you completely off guard?”
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Where the f**k does all the dust come from?
Similarly, how do my two dogs manage to shed more hair than they actually have on their bodies?
How it just goes on endlessly.
When you're a kid, there's a summer break every year, and a new school to go to in a couple of years. Whatever part of your life you are in is clearly delimited and there is something new to look forward to after it.
Once you're an adult, it's just 5 days of work and 2 days of weekend over and over and over until you die.
Watching your parents becoming old and frail
This scares me so much. My parents aren't elderly yet (they're 60 and 63), but still going like they're 30. They both have health problems (especially emotional) they refuse to acknowledge or even talk about.
I can do whatever the f**k I want.
But I don't really want to do anything...
Just how tiring everything is. Tired when I wake up. Tired after work. Tired after cooking dinner. Tired catching up sleep on the weekends. Tired while doing something fun on the weekend. Almost always a bit tired.
Always feeling tired and just pushing through it.
Very unpopular, but eating healthy and remain and healthy weight and doing some kind of exercise - that can just be a daily walk for 20 min. - really does help. I'm not talking expensive hipster power food stuff, just a sensible diet with the right potion seizes.
How clueless other adults are. I really thought adults had their s**t in order while in reality most people are winging it.
That the majority of adults are absolutely stupid. i was under the impression that as you got older you gained knowledge and wisdom... not so much.
The constant anxiety of realising you're just getting older whilst still not knowing what the hell you're going to do with your life. It's especially stressful when everyone around you seems to be progressing and realising what they want out of life and you're just sitting here waiting for death.
I promise you, most other people feel the same way, and many may even feel the same about you. Don't ever compare your life to others, especially to how other's portray it on the internet. Remember, we only show to good stuff on Instagram, Tiktok, Facebook, etc. So people's lives always seam better then they really are. Everyone always has stuff going on behind closed doors. So don't compare and just worry about your own life and not what other's are doing in theirs.
I think how people stop giving a s**t about you when you get older, in a general sense. I see homeless people, very poor people struggling and others struggling with mental health and people with low pay.
If you saw a small child on the street, crying, alone, our hearts would break at the innocence. We would console and help them. Adults were all somebody's little children at one point, we have the same basic needs as children. When you're older, if you aren't making society move money around, you become worthless in the eyes of the public.
Feeling able-bodied to having a broken down body happened seemingly over night.
Understanding how young my parents were while raising us now that I was (then surpassed) that age.
Gave me a lot of compassion, especially as new immigrants to the US where they didn’t know the language. I’m 32 and still trying to figure out they were 25 with two kids in a totally new country.
Bravo mom and pop.
Ikr? My sister-in-law was married at 18. I think she must have been insane.
It’s hard to explain, but I always thought getting older would feel different in your soul, somehow. I don’t mean that in a religious or spiritual way necessarily, I’m more referencing the little version of you in your brain that pilots the ship. I always thought that, as I got older, he would feel older too.
I’m 33 now. I’ve had a lot of adventures and experiences, I’ve learned a lot and I’m definitely smarter than I was at say 20, but the little me piloting the ship doesn’t feel any different.
The little me in the ship still feels like it did when I was 15 or 16. I’m not complaining, I actually think it’s sorta nice and even helpful, I just find it strange.
That "little me" never changes and is the reason us oldies still climb ladders to clean the gutters, go into the loft for the decorations, and attempt to use a pogo stick.
How calm it is.
Through all of school years, adults kept yelling at us, that these are our best years of life, and when we grow up to be adults and get jobs, we will be much more stressed, and the responsibilities will be much more serious. I really believed that and thought my adult life will be hell on earth, and I felt guilty for hating school and being a kid so much.
But there is no bullying in my adulthood. There is no yelling at me. And when there is, I can yell back. And if I yell back and get into a fight, I'm probably going to end up bruised but that's it. There is no more yelling at me for getting into a fight. There is no yelling at me for yelling back at someone. Job is way more slow paced than school, I'm almost never in a hurry. And when I finish a work day, I just go home and play games, or do whatever I want to, without stressing about the other day or crying over the homework in my textbook. I can eat candy for breakfast if I want. I can still go out with friends to play football or ride bikes. I had no time for it in childhood, except winter and summer breaks. Also, I had no friends. I was throwing up in the bushes everyday and crying because my stomach hurt so bad from the stress, going to school. Now I'm walking to work singing along to the music in my headphones, feeling generally happy. Adult life is much better than I expected.
This is such a sweet post. I hope that’s what it’s like for me as an adult. Literally all I want out of life is to be happy. (And be an author, but anyway)
How little free time you have. You have to work, you have to prepare for work, drive to work, drive home from work. You also have to do household chores. You have to take care of kids if you have some. When do I get to enjoy my hobbies?
This comes down to priorities. Pick what is more important for you right now. Right now, I can live with toothpaste stains in the sink (chore) for one day because I'm choosing to read (hobby) for the sake of enjoying myself. I don't live in a Pinterest Perfect world, and I don't want to. As long as the dishes and sides are clean and the bins are empty, I'm not prioritising dusting the baseboards over a board game with my loved ones. Also, prep for work? I would need clean clothes in all cases regardless of employment status, what other prep is needed? (Genuine question - I work in a corporate office, I need clean, pressed clothes and a coffee. I sometimes need to bring in a resupply of tissues. There's literally nothing I need to prepare that I wouldn't also do for a weekend, or a holiday, so what additional prep am I missing out on?)
The mental labor involved in meal planning, let alone cooking.
Not making any friends any more.
It's hard to make friends as an adult. I'm still learning how to do this, BUT I have made a few new friends over the past year by pursuing things I like. I found it is much easier to make friends in activities or groups because you'll automatically already have something in common to converse on (the interest in the activity). So if you love soccer, maybe join a soccer pickup match here and there. Or I'd you love knitting, find a knitting group
Becoming more emotionally mature than the adults I used to look up to.
It's weird to watch my family talking behind each other's backs and being two faced and back stabby and throwing fits when they don't get their way. It's literally bizarre highschool drama or toddler level tantrums and I just sit there thinking "Was that really the most mature and productive way to handle that?" But you can't say anything without literally getting told "I'M the ADULT! I'm older and wiser so I know better!". Oh, is that why you threw a screaming fit over the laundry being moved? Because that's what adults do?
I don't know how I didn't see it when I was younger. I'm in my late 30s, so it's not like I'm some teenager who thinks I know better than the adults. I'm just an adult flabbergasted that they're still doing this petty drama at age 60.
Cheese is so f*****g expensive!
How much the magic for things that you experience as a kid wears off.
Holidays, vacation destinations, stores and restaurants, etc. They are still cool, but not as amazing as they were when I was a kid.
Or realizing how powerful of a filter nostalgia is. Love teminiscing about your favorite movie as a kid? Keep reminiscing, dont watch it. The memory is better than the reality.
The general cruelty of people. We're you're a kid you think we're all team humanity or team [your country] but it's not.
My to-do list is literally never finished.
For a long time, I would get really stressed about what I couldn't cross off each day. A friend suggested that at the end of the day, I write down-with a physical pen and paper-what I accomplished that day. It significantly reduced my anxiety and even helped with my self-esteem.
That you are on your own. No one cares if you get injured. No one cares if you are homeless and hungry and if you were to die, life just goes on without you.
I mean.. some of us are fortunate enough to have people who do care about us... I wouldn't be where i am if it weren't for my family and friends who love and care
How fast time moves. Feels like I graduated college, blinked and now I'm in my early 30s. I miss the optimism of having all the time in the world to save money, catch up on albums and shows, see friends, make new ones, travel, get married, have a family, etc. Now it feels like I haven't done any of that and I'm running out of time to do it.
You're in your 30s? Stfu! You're still a kid. Want to see how fast time goes? Wait til you're 60 and then start complaining 😁
The fatigue and body pain as you get to your sixties. I still have 6 years until pension and I barely move after work. Forget going out or enjoying life, it’s a struggle just to look after me. Very fortunate to have amazing adult kids and grandkids who cook and care for me.
And yet the government want to raise the retirement age because "people are living longer". But for a lot of people in physical jobs they may not be able to continue working after 65. The Civil servants sitting in their offices can't seem to grasp this...some people do hard labor all their lives.
Not being facetious. Mid-fourties’. Sneeze hard and throw my back out. The pain is incredible. That is truly devastating to me.
Am 57 and started visiting the gym about 10 years ago. It helps keeping my body upright and I hope it will also prevent things like osteoporosis and strokes. But I need to be very careful what I do because before I know it I get ans injury. Weight training gave me bursitis, dance training started arthritis. Took a 3 month break of the weights because of the bursitis but that caused other joint problems. Damned if you do, damned if you dont.
Not just weight training but life in general is a balancing act. Not enough physical activity and your body atrophies and you get all sort of pains and you're more likely to injure yourself. Too much activity and you get injuries and pains. There is a really fine line to walk when it comes to the optimal amount of physical activity.
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The worst part is that in my mind I'm only about 30 or 35. The next day my body reminds me what the numbers on my drivers license are.
Can anyone here tell me if daily stretching makes such a life changing difference? I have always wanted to know. Or taking up yoga, anything like that, I just want to know if that could change all of these issues.
personal - I am 64, I started TaiChi last yr. bad arthritis, bad nerve pain . it is slowly making a real difference. I am sore, but I move better, and mentally it really helps me. We have an 85 yr old man that has changed from shuffling hunched over - to walking up straight.
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At least you get a pension. Most folks in the U.S . Have retirement at the whim of the stock market.
60s? I'm in my early 30s and I can relate to this already.. (though I don't have kids or grandkids)
It's obscene that a person has to work until their mid 60s. My mums 66 and she worked her a*s off for years and for what. She worked on a farm, milking cows, doing the whole husbandry of the animals there, driving tractors to cut the field's making hay bales, she only gave up when she hit around 60 because she was worn out, totally worn out. Also she has COPD and still pushed herself because of the greedy a*s government sucking the life out of people, when at that age they have done their bit for society, all the while the politicians are lining their pockets with stupid amounts of money for running a country in to the ground.
That saying " youth is wasted on the young " rings very true now that I'm feeling my age ;)
I have had this for 10 years and I'm 39. I dread thinking of my 60s+. My mum passed at 58 and I just. Well. Think I won't get there.
Did you go from back pain and stiffness to no pain and mobility? Serious question. I'm only 33, so I'm not dying of pain or anything, but feeling like this now makes me wonder what it is going to be like at 40 and even 50 and I want to start doing something now to change (improve) that. I've heard that daily stretching and yoga helps, but will it make a significant change / improvement?
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Read the room. You have truth to share in your way, but no empathy.
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You have to be intentional about joy and wonder in education.
Also, even if things suck, even if you don’t want to give a f**k.
Keep being curious. Keep wondering about things.
Because it can get bitter real quick.
How it’s ok to do your own thing.
You call the shots.
You don’t have to do all the “adult” things if you don’t want to.
Great! Imma chill in bed with my future dog and a book in my free time.
You start to pay attention to ages in movies and music and sometimes how much older you are compared to them. 😬
I've started doing this, especially to the leads. I'm like "oh he's cute, wait, he's only how old? I could be his grandmother!" When did this happen? Where did the older stars go?
The 'kids grow up so quickly these days' sensation.
You see a kid and think "ah wow they've grown huge! I saw them when they were two and now... Oh yeah... It's been ten years... F**k."
About 5 years ago, I found myself referring to 20-somethings as kids. I couldn't believe it.
Note: this post originally had 40 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
I used to think I didn't have a metabolism because I was never exactly thin but now I'm going, "oh god, I REALLY have nothing at all now!" I gain weight just by looking at a picture of cake!
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Wrinkles, saggy skin, and that being an adult isn't all it's cracked up to be. God I wish I could be a kid again and go fishing with my dad
I love this so much! And I love getting older. No Botox, let my hair go gray naturally. One surprising benefit is talking to younger people without worry they think I’m hitting on them and I can be authentically me.
I used to worry about all this stuff until I realized everyone is going to die. Then I felt better.
Thinking I will be wise and know exactly what to say and what not to say or do once I grow up. 50 and still have no idea...
I used to think I didn't have a metabolism because I was never exactly thin but now I'm going, "oh god, I REALLY have nothing at all now!" I gain weight just by looking at a picture of cake!
Load More Replies... Wrinkles, saggy skin, and that being an adult isn't all it's cracked up to be. God I wish I could be a kid again and go fishing with my dad
I love this so much! And I love getting older. No Botox, let my hair go gray naturally. One surprising benefit is talking to younger people without worry they think I’m hitting on them and I can be authentically me.
I used to worry about all this stuff until I realized everyone is going to die. Then I felt better.
Thinking I will be wise and know exactly what to say and what not to say or do once I grow up. 50 and still have no idea...
