Adulthood

I've felt like an "adult" my whole life. Of course, I always knew I was a kid, or a teenager, or whatever, but even when I was in elementary school, I remember feeling like I really knew what was going on and I hated being treated like a child. It used to make me so angry when my parents or teachers would tell me I couldn't do something or make my own choices just because I was not a grown up.

In America, there is no particular ceremony or age that clearly marks adulthood. We can drive somewhere around 16, watch adult movies at 17, smoke and vote at 18 and finally drink at 21 (of course most people start sooner). At some point when I was in college and living on my own, people started to treat me like an adult and expect me to act like one.

However, now I feel like I really became an adult when I became responsible for other people - both as a teacher and a father. I can't think only about myself. My actions have a direct affect on the lives of others. I guess that responsibility really feels like adulthood to me.