adulthood

[kate_nepveu]

I generally don't feel old or even middle-aged (elementary-school kids are a good antidote to that, for me). But it seems appropriate to note the one time recently when I genuinely felt like an adult:

I finished T. Kingfisher's Summer in Orcus, in which Baba Yaga grants the eponymous Summer her heart's desire, and because I'm a daydreamer I set about deciding what my heart's desire would be. And after not very much thought, I concluded that the genuine wish of my heart . . .

. . . was to live in a post-scarcity society.

And that's when I said to myself, boy, I'm not even remotely a candidate to be the protagonist of an adventure novel any more. (Not that I ever was. But still.)

Comments

[yhlee]

I knew I was an adult a few years back when we bought our first washer and dryer and this was super exciting.

[kate_nepveu]

Doing laundry out is _a pain_. (There was a brief period where our laundry machines were on the same floor as us and that was also A+.)

[rosefox]

May Baba Yaga find you and grant you that wish.

[kate_nepveu]

The "and" is very important there!

[(Anonymous)]

Going out to search for and/or create a post-scarcity society sounds as though it would make a pretty good adventure novel to me, actually.

[rushthatspeaks]

Sorry, that was me and it logged me out in the middle of posting the comment.

[kate_nepveu]

My daydreams have a terrible tendency to be pragmatic so I can't make that work as a scenario, but I offer it up to anyone who can make it so!

[lilysea]

I think my hearts desire is a cure for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Ideally, for everyone on the planet.

Failing that, that mine be cured.

[lauradi7dw]

Is a test a helpful start?
http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/07/31/540565526/scientists-edge-closer-to-elusive-lab-test-for-chronic-fatigue-syndrome

[kate_nepveu]

I shall hope for that!

[thistleingrey]

Yeah, that sounds familiar. May you have your wish! I'd like it, too.

When I turned 36--which is not your current age, I know--I was working on a university campus and had the repeated reflection that not only was I double the age of the average inbound frosh, I could be their parent legally (no hypothetical statutory violation or whatever). Age of my own child notwithstanding, seeing young people everywhere daily took on a different cast. *shrugs* I think I'm just glad not to feel old yet from health issues?

[kate_nepveu]

Ooooh, yes, being around people of that age would definitely be a different dynamic!

[sovay]

. . . was to live in a post-scarcity society.

I hope you get it.

[minoanmiss]

That''s a good wish.

[oracne]

That is a lovely wish.

[jreynoldsward]

I like that wish.

As I approach my seventh decade (OMG! I never thought I'd be saying THAT), I find that I appreciate relative economic stability and the idea of a post-scarcity economy a lot more appealing.

Still, I do play out the scenarios in my head, if only for self-defense purposes. And I do have moments where I pull myself up and go "huh? I'm really that old? My parents seemed SO MUCH OLDER at this age." That said, they went through the Depression and WWII, and had more health issues. I'm fortunate and admit it's sheer luck.

But a post-scarcity society sounds marvelous. Really marvelous.

[jesse_the_k]

Ah yes, so did my folks--and they also experienced the WPA and government as a positive force and pulling together "for the duration"

[kate_nepveu]

Yeah, yesterday was my 40th birthday, but I feel moderately confident (whether backed by actual data or not!) that it's not actually the halfway point of my life.

[ironed_orchid]

It does make you eligible to be a character in a Culture or Star Trek story... which would be pretty neat.