I turned 18 in 1993. I was 21 in 1996. Graduated college in 1998, got a job and lived on my own for 2 years after that. But I don’t think I really became an adult until 2001. It was a big year for me. I got married. Lost my father to cancer. Experienced my first layoff, as did my husband. And then there was September 11. I think a lot of people had to grow up fast that day. Most of these were negative experiences but they helped me to grow…a process that was necessary for what I would face in 2002.
On New Years Eve 2001 my husband and I returned to the place where we met. His fraternity house was having a party and we thought it would be fun to go there to ring in the New Year. I remember getting drunk and telling people it was the last time I’d be doing that because I intended to have a baby the next year. Most of them laughed. I think they were surprised because we hadn’t been married for very long at that point and we (obviously) were still into partying. I was right though…before January 2002 was over I was pregnant and had experienced my 2nd layoff. That left us both unemployed, expecting a baby, and scared to death. This started another step toward adulthood…moving far away from our families and friends so that we’d have a source of income and a way to support our child. Everything that was secure and comfortable was gone and suddenly we were facing parenthood on top of all of that.
These were scary, stressful situations but they taught me a lot of life lessons and prepared me in ways that reading books never could have.