I Failed at Adulting Last Week
Look, I’m gonna be honest here. I’m not one of those people who has it all together. I mean, I’m a senior editor at a major publication, so I guess I’ve got that going for me. But last Tuesday, I realized I hadn’t paid my electric bill since… honestly, I don’t even remember. And then the lights went out. Literally.
It was about 11:30pm, I was in my pajamas, and I was like, “Great, Sarah, way to adult.” I had to borrow a lamp from my neighbor, Marcus (let’s call him that, his name’s actually Steve). He just laughed and said, “You’re a hot mess, Sarah. But I love you.” Which… yeah. Fair enough.
So, I’m writing this because I think we need to talk about the messy, beautiful truth about adulting. It’s not all Pinterest boards and perfectly organized pantries. Sometimes it’s cold dinners and IOUs to the electric company.
Why We’re All Bad at This
I did a little informal survey among my friends. Well, it was more like a drunken conversation at the bar on 5th, but still. Out of the 214 of us who were there that night, only 3 people had their life completely together. And one of them was lying. I could tell by the way his eye twitched.
We’re all just winging it, folks. That’s the truth. We’re figuring it out as we go. And that’s okay. It’s more than okay, it’s normal. But society likes to pretend otherwise. They want us to think that adulting is this linear path of succesfully completing milestones. College, career, marriage, house, kids, retirement. But that’s not real life.
Real life is messy. It’s chaotic. It’s full of surprises and setbacks and unexpected joys. And that’s what makes it beautiful.
My Friend Dave’s Kitchen Disaster
Speaking of messy, let me tell you about my friend Dave. He’s a colleague, actually. A few months ago, he decided he was gonna renovate his kitchen. “I’m gonna do it on a budget,” he told me. “I found this great site with home renovation ideas budget stuff.” I should’ve stopped him right there.
But no, Dave was determined. He bought all the materials, tore out the old kitchen, and then… he got stuck. Like, physically stuck. He was trying to install the new countertop by himself, and he got it stuck on his head. I kid you not. I got a call from him at 2am, sounding like he was in a tunnel. “Sarah,” he said, “I think I need help.”
So, I went over there, and there he was, countertop perched precariously on his head, looking like an overgrown turtle. We laughed until we cried. And then we ordered pizza and watched bad movies until the countertop fell off. Which, honestly, was the best part of the whole night.
But Seriously, Adulting is Hard
I’m not saying we should all embrace the chaos and call it a day. There’s a balance, right? We gotta pay our bills, keep our jobs, take care of our health, all that stuff. But we also gotta cut ourselves some slack. We’re human. We’re gonna make mistakes. We’re gonna fail. And that’s okay.
I think the key is to find joy in the journey. To laugh at ourselves when we mess up. To celebrate the small victories. To lean on our friends and family when we need support. And to remember that it’s okay if our kitchen looks like a disaster zone for a while.
A Tangent About My Cat
Speaking of disasters, let me tell you about my cat, Whiskers. He’s a sweet boy, really. But he has this habit of knocking things off the counter. Last week, he knocked over my coffee mug. It was full, by the way. It was a completley avoidable mess. But you know what? I laughed. I mean, what else are you gonna do? Get mad at a cat? Please.
So, yeah. Life’s gonna be messy. But that’s okay. Embrace the chaos. Find the joy. And for the love of God, pay your electric bill on time.
Oh, and if you’re renovating your kitchen, maybe don’t do it alone at 2am. Just a thought.
About the Author: Sarah Johnson is a senior editor with 20+ years of experience in the magazine industry. She’s written for major publications and has won several awards for her work. She lives in Austin with her cat, Whiskers, and spends her free time complaining about the weather and eating tacos.
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