Look, Let’s Be Honest
I’m standing in my kitchen at 11:30pm, eating cold pizza straight from the box. Again. And I’m thinking, this is supposed to be adulthood? I’m 42 years old, for crying out loud. I’ve been editing lifestyle pieces for 21 years, and I still feel like I’m making it up as I go along.
So, let’s talk about adulting. It’s messy. It’s unpredictable. And frankly, it’s nothing like they told us it would be in those high school assembly speeches. (Remember those? Vague promises of success if we just believed in ourselves? Yeah, right.)
My Kitchen Disaster of ’09
Okay, so picture this: It’s March 14, 2009. I’m living in a tiny apartment in Chicago with my then-roommate, let’s call him Marcus. We’re both trying to be adults. Marcus is a freelance graphic designer. I’m a junior editor at a small magazine. We’ve got adult jobs.
But here’s the thing: Marcus can’t work out how to use the dishwasher. I mean, at all. He’s putting dishes in there like it’s a game of Tetris, and they’re not coming out clean. I walk in one evening, and there are dishes everywhere. The sink is full. The counter is full. There are plates on the floor. And Marcus is sitting on the couch, eating cereal out of the box.
I said, “Marcus, what the hell is going on here?”
He said, “I don’t know how to make the dishwasher work. I think it’s broken.”
Which… yeah. Fair enough. But also, no. It’s not broken. You’re just not using it right.
And that, my friends, is adulting. You’re gonna wing it. You’re gonna fail. You’re gonna eat cold pizza for dinner because you forgot to grocery shop. Again.
The Illusion of Perfection
Here’s the secret they don’t tell you: nobody has it all together. Nobody. Not your friends on Instagram, not your coworkers, not even that lady who always looks like she stepped out of a magazine. We’re all just out here, trying to figure it out.
I remember talking to my friend Sarah about this last Tuesday. We were over coffee at the place on 5th. She’s a lawyer, for goodness’ sake. You’d think she’d have it all figured out, right?
I said, “Sarah, come on. You’re a lawyer. You must have some adulting tips for the rest of us.”
She laughed. “Oh, honey. I’m winging it just like you. Last week, I forgot to pay my electricity bill. The power got cut off in the middle of a Zoom call. I had to go sit in my car to finish the meeting.”
And I’m thinking, this is the woman who negotiated a six-figure settlement last month? Yeah. We’re all just making it up as we go.
When Life Throws You Curveballs
About three months ago, I was at a conference in Austin. There was this panel on work-life balance, and I’m sitting there, nodding along, thinking, “Yeah, yeah, I got this.” And then the panelist says something about keeping up with current affairs analysis update to stay informed, and I realize, oh crap. I haven’t read a news article that wasn’t about celebrity gossip in weeks.
And that’s the thing about adulting. It’s not just about the big stuff, like paying bills and remembering to call your mom. It’s about the little stuff, too. Like staying informed. Like knowing what’s going on in the world. Like not letting your dishwasher become a mountain of dirty dishes because you’re too lazy to figure out how it works.
It’s also about asking for help when you need it. I mean, seriously. If Marcus had just asked me to show him how to use the dishwasher, we wouldn’t have had a kitchen disaster of ’09. But no. He tried to wing it. And look where that got us.
A Tangent: The Great Toilet Paper Crisis of ’20
Speaking of winging it, remember the toilet paper crisis of 2020? Yeah, that was a real thing. I was at the store, and there was this guy, let’s call him Dave, and he had, like, 12 packs of toilet paper in his cart. I mean, 12. And I’m thinking, “Dave, what are you doing? Are you planning to open a toilet paper store?”
But here’s the thing: Dave wasn’t wrong. He was just preparing. He was adulting. And I was standing there, judging him, with only one pack of toilet paper in my cart because I was sure the crisis would blow over in a week. (Spoiler: it didn’t.)
So, yeah. Adulting is about preparing. It’s about knowing when to stock up on toilet paper. It’s about knowing when to ask for help. It’s about knowing when to just wing it.
The Art of Winging It
Here’s the thing about winging it: it’s not about being reckless. It’s not about not caring. It’s about rolling with the punches. It’s about laughing at yourself when you mess up. It’s about getting back up and trying again.
I mean, look at me. I’m 42 years old, and I’m still eating cold pizza for dinner. But you know what? I’m also standing in my kitchen, writing this article, and sharing my story. And that’s something.
So, let’s stop pretending we have it all together. Let’s stop comparing ourselves to others. Let’s just wing it. Let’s make messes and clean them up. Let’s ask for help when we need it. Let’s laugh at ourselves. Let’s adult.
And if all else fails, there’s always cold pizza.
About the Author
I’m Linda Thompson, senior editor at Windshield Wipers. I’ve been writing and editing lifestyle content for over 20 years, and I’m still figuring it out. I live in Chicago with my cat, Mr. Whiskers, and I’m always up for a good cup of coffee and a deep conversation. Follow me on Twitter @LindaTWipers.
