I sat across from an old friend tonight, having an all-too-familiar conversation. We were discussing the oddity of BEING an adult but never quite FEELING like an adult. I'm 28 years old and often feel like an impostor; similarly, my friend is a married, career woman and relates to the adulthood-poser sentiment. As we talked, I asked myself: when will I cross over? When does adulthood officially begin? Does graduation make one feel like an adult? Marriage? Parenthood? Buying a house? Losing a loved one?

I don't think there's any magical bridge. In fact, one of the most honest statements I've ever heard was from a 41 year-old husband/father/businessman who confessed: all adults are just pretenders. None have their shit together; none have it all figured out. Most are just pretending to know what the hell they're doing in life.

Perhaps it's cynical to accept this viewpoint?
But I don't feel like a pessimist believing that adults are impostors. Quite the opposite. I feel relieved... that I'm not the only one.