So when do I grow up?

How do I know when I have become an adult?

I keep asking myself this question. Was it when I turned 18? Was it when I turned 21? Those are just numbers applied to me on how long I lived on this earth. What if we had a different calendar? I could be 456 goblyguck old. Is it when I graduate college and have that diploma in my hand? What if I had been born in a different era when 13 yrs old was the typical marrying age and you were considered an old maid by the time you were 20 yrs old?

Do I know it when my old friends stop coming home for the holidays and move to far off places, get married and have children of their own? If that is the case, then I do not want to be an adult. I still like seeing my old friends and swapping life stories.

Is being an adult mean going to work everyday and having responsibilities? Does it mean going back to an empty apartment and a sink full of dishes?  Is it when I travel on my own and people call me “Mam” or “Miss”?

Will I ever know when I am a grown-up?