Do adults still sing into the mirror?

It's hard to believe that in less than one week, I will officially be an adult. I will have a full-time job... no, wait, CAREER, and the days of sleeping until noon will be over, except for the occasional weekend, of course. I keep thinking about how old I thought people were that had "real" jobs even just a few years ago. Am I one of them now? Will I even be distinguishable from the other working ADULTS walking down the street? I don't even feel old enough to have graduated from college, much less be walking through Downtown Atlanta in my office wear on my lunch break! And the craziest thing is that I can see the Georgia State campus from my building! The song "Working for the Weekend" is echoing in my head and I am bracing myself for the day-to-day life of a working woman.

Don't get me wrong, I could not be happier or more excited to start this job. I couldn't be working for a more amazing organization and I couldn't be more thankful for this opportunity, especially during a recession (!), but I am just experiencing a mini life crisis resulting from the realization that I am not a kid anymore. I never considered an 18 year-old an adult, I mean, have you ever met an 18 year-old? No, way. They're still kids. I think adulthood is more of a choice. A choice to be independent and create a life of your own for yourself. I don't think adulthood is at all related to the number of candles on your birthday cake. It comes from not only accepting but welcoming responsibility and, for that, I feel ready.

For my last three years of college all I wanted was to work for a non-profit that made a difference in people's lives and their communities and, wow, here I am. I actually wanted something, worked for it, and GOT it! Nothing is more inspiring than that! I am so excited to have taken the first step in my CHOSEN career path and, as I said in my interview, there are so many jobs where someone will wake up in the morning and ask themselves "What will happen if I go to work today?" but then there are jobs that matter so greatly in the lives of people that your choice has much greater implications. You have to ask yourself, "What will happen if I do not go to work today?" and the answer, in my case, would be, children will go without someone to look up to, someone to trust, and most importantly, someone to love them and I just cannot have that.

I cannot wait to work for an organization that improves the quality of so many children's lives here in Atlanta, and whether or not I am willing to accept the fact that I am an adult, I can definitely accept that! So, for now I am just trying to accumulate a wardrobe suitable for an office ( I guess that means no more earrings that reach my collar bone or four inch heels) and prepare to begin a new and exciting chapter in my life.



Change is good : )