Now that I’m dead, I want to tell you a few things.

Dear You,

No one knows when they become an adult. That’s because there is no obvious sign. You won’t find a magic door and walk through it and get a T-shirt or a special glow around your head. You won’t step across some mysterious line and discover you are now standing in The Land of The Adults and the Code For Adults has been surreptitiously stamped on the inside of your thigh. You won’t get a certificate in the mail – nope, it’s not your diploma – and you won’t get a phone call from the president of anything telling you, “Congratulations! You are now an adult!” You won’t go into a bar and pay the cover and get a stamp on your hand that says ADULT and discover that yes, you finally are one.

None of these things is going to happen.

You’ll never get the official word, so you’re going to have to start making it up. Do stuff. Try stuff out. Sure, you have to get a job and pay the bills and all that. But being an adult also means you need to make your life happen. Make choices, jump in, commit, go whole hog. Stop waiting around for somebody to give you the great OK.

If this still isn’t enough, if you are still waiting for some official notice, I’ve got a gift for you. From me to you, this is about as official as it gets:

YOU ARE NOW AN ADULT. TAKE YOUR ADULTHOOD BY THE BALLS AND RUN WITH IT. NOW GET GOING!

Sincerely,
Me