When I felt like an adult

What experience or moment made you feel like you were a grown up?

S.: I would like this answer to be more profound or quirky, but not having to rely on a monthly pay check from my parents felt like I was finally a "real" grown up. I know equating financial independence with growing up is a bit of a tired narrative, but I didn't see it as a "final step of liberation" from them. I rather saw money (or lack thereof) as a trigger for my anxiety, making this a topic I never wanted to talk or learn about.

Finally having some of my own money coincided with so many other "grown up" developments, such as paying rent and bills and student loans, getting my first job, etc. And yet, just being in charge of my own money, organizing my budget, saving up and learning about financial intelligence has made me feel more grown up and in charge of my life.

K.: A key experience that made me feel grown up was getting my first real job when I was a sophomore in high school.  My after-school job was working in a shoe store 10 hours a week. I was selling shoes and helping with the basic chores of running the enormous old-fashioned cash register, helping customers, arranging displays, and stocking shelves. All the while getting to know the amazing woman who ran the store for 40 years, having demanded it as part of the divorce settlement after her husband left her.

I earned $1.50 an hour, back in the late 1970s, but the experience it gave me was worth a lot more than that.

(This post is part of my "Growing Up & Growing Old" project.)