For me it’s moving your bed away from the side walls so it’s in the middle of the room. I had my bed to the side my whole childhood
Having the opportunity to buy cake whenever you want, having enough money to buy cake whenever you want, and choosing to not buy cake whenever you want.
choosing to not buy cake whenever you want
That’s past adult and goes into senior territory.
No, wait, I’m not that old yet right?? Right???
You start saving boxes. You think, this looks like a good box.
The opposite for me. I think all this useless crap needs to go.
I keep mine thinking i might need it in case i need to send the thing back for warranty service. Still have boxes for stuff years out of their warranty periods.
Too many adults are absolutely clueless https://www.economist.com/culture/2025/04/10/too-many-adults-are-absolutely-clueless From The Economist
I was in my late 20s and two of my uncle was having a heated argument over politics. Everyone else was quiet, afraid to say anything. I spoke out in a normal tone, not raising my voice, “that’s enough”. They stopped immediately. It was fairly surreal.
When I truly internalized that I don’t have to prove my worth to anyone, even if I don’t always know what I’m doing.
Looking back, that sense of self-worth and confidence is what I probably saw in all of the adults around me that made them seem so incredible as a child.
So when I felt that, I thought “huh, so this is what being an adult feels like.”
I know, we are awesome, right?! And I can wear a Pom hat, joggers and crocs, and I don’t give two shits what anyone might think.
I got towels, cast iron pans, and a new knife for Christmas and couldn’t have been happier.
I’m still a bed by the wall person though. when me and my partner get a house that will probably change, but for now I like having a corner to sit up against.
I got a cheap sharpener that works absolutely fantastically! I love it so much.
You find yourself in a hardware or furniture store and everything looks cool.
You find yourself compulsively drawn to woodworking.
I have been working my wood ever since I became a man
I just finished my third and fourth cutting board this week.
You pass by a business with an “Established X” sign; where X is any year past your high-school graduation year.
Being jealous of other people’s wooden floors
I spent years installing hardwood floors. Now when I see them, all I can see are the flaws. It’s maddening.
I am so tempted to post a picture…
Finding joy in having a clean kitchen
You are done with the wonders and joys of life, and just want to work the rest away until you are dead.
When people offer you opportunities, you reject them, knowing full well you can’t afford such attempts.
Safety is all that matters.
If this is the case I hope I never become an adult
It’s probably a possibility, but it’s definitely not the inevitable outcome. If possible, find a well paying job that you find fulfilling and rewarding. I realize how difficult this is for most people though, (because it took me decades to find one), and that makes me sad.
“Its a great day to hang out clothes”
Your body starts betraying you.
More specific to becoming a middle aged man, I started finding any sport enjoyable regardless of what it was. Additionally I started listening to history podcasts. Not sure these are gendered activities but there is definitely a stereotype that men start getting more involved in sport and history.
When throwing away a perfectly good box is a well thought out decision after the box has been in a staging area for some time while you think about it.
Most of my boxes are cat scratchers. Some of them are to paint on. A couple are in a closet in case I have to return the expensive thing that it housed.
