I somehow managed to fall off the grid when it comes to Finish the Sentence Fridays. Things were busy around the holidays, of course, but then I just wasn't feeling it for some reason. I can't say I'm any more attuned to this week's prompt, but I do miss the group, so I figured if I was ever going to jump back in, there's no time like the present. This week's prompt is: The most unexpected part of being a grownup is ...
I can't actually say that I found anything unexpected about being a grownup. I think I came into this phase of life fully prepared for the responsibilities and struggles that were likely to surface. Rather, it's a matter of what was unexpected to my my life personally as a grownup.
There are things you know ahead of time, like there will be times in life when you could face financial hardship, and how much is SUX that you no longer get the entire summer off because of work, or that since you're no longer a kid and don't believe in Santa Claus, you won't get half as many Christmas presents (sniffle, sniffle, sob), but there are other things I fully expected that didn't happen.
I fully expected to get married, have kids, a dog, a house and, if possible, adopt either an older child because they're harder to place, or maybe siblings, for the same reason. Those were things I "expected," but none of them have happened.
In my early 20s, I saw all of my friends getting married - some made sense, and they're still in great relationships. Others seemed to be doing it just because they were at the age when they were "supposed to" get married and many, understandably, ended in disaster, while others are just plugging along, not happy, but not willing to throw in the towel. I have yet to meet anyone I want to spend the rest of my life with, so rather that a temporary hubby, I'll stick to more casual relationships.
As for kids, people are always telling me what a fantastic mother I would be and that I should go ahead and have kids even though I'm not married, because there's no "stigma" associated with that nowadays. Really? That would be the big concern?? How about the fact that if I had kids on my own, I would have to take on another job just to pay for daycare, which would mean I would never have the time to be with them? It's one thing to already have kids and end up that situation, having to make the best of it ... but to intentionally have kids knowing you won't be able to devote your full attention to them is a whole other thing. Maybe some day I'll win the lottery and can still adopt ... or I'll end up marrying someone who already has kids.
The funny thing is that at one of my office holiday parties when I was still living in New Orleans, a supposed psychic was brought in as part of the entertainment for the day. She told me that I would have not one, but two marriages. The first would be the true love of my life and be cut short by his death. The second would be quite long. Given that I'm already on the downside of my 40s, how pessimistic is she about marriage?? Either that first marriage will be VERY short, or my second hubby and I will be living into our 100s together. Only time will tell ... ;)
What about you? Was there something that came as a complete shock to you as a grownup?
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Janine ~ http://www.janinehuldie.com
Next week's prompt will be: "What I really want to scream out loud is ..."
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