I keep hearing the phrase, "Kids are growing up way too fast" thrown around like a Rhonda Rousey punch. But are they? Seems to me that kids may be growing but not maturing--and there is a difference. Seeing so many adult-aged humans running around without common sense or common courtesy saddens me. The next time one of them comes to me and says, "You don't tell me. I'm grown!" I'm going to show them this list and tell them to prove it.
Here are thirteen things you should be able to do as an adult. This is not an exhaustive list, but it's a start.
Read - "Reading is a lost art and I wish people would find it." Comedian Greg Proops, who is an avid reader, once said that technology and the internet would increase and improve reading. So far I don't see any evidence of it. There's a big difference between skimming through Facebook and focusing on a book (electronic or otherwise). I posted this on another post, but it bears repeating.
Kind of sad isn't it? Grown people should be able to read and comprehend.
Use Manners - Please and thank you aren't just "magic" words; they are a reflection of your attitude The more selfish you are, the more likely you are to act rudely...and rude people are notoriously childish.
Use proper grammar - There's nothing wrong with slang in the proper setting, but grownups should know how to speak well.
Flush a toilet - I do believe there are people who think that every toilet automatically flushes itself. Hey, this ain't Wal-Mart; nobody wants to be greeted to that floating around. Also, auto flush toilets don't always work. Check behind yourself...literally.
Wash your hands - Understand, I was a teacher for more than a decade (counting my substitute years). I know the benefits of hand sanitizer. However, it is NOT a substitute for good old soap and water. It is a supplement to proper hand washing when soap and water aren't readily available. Kind of like vitamins don't substitute for food, but they supplement nutrients that might be lacking in food. "It's the same thing." No, it's not. Go play in a pile of dog doo-doo and see if you want soap and water or a squirt of hand sanitizer when you're done.
Clean up after yourself - Your mother doesn't work here...and if she did, she'd beat your tail. Come on, I've seen people who can't throw something in a trash can, just around it. Really? These are the same people who would have a duck fit if their children were that careless.
Hold a verbal conversation on the phone or in person - Please, get off the phone and look people in the eye once in a while, try not to text or message everything, and for the love of Mike, listen.
Write with a pen/pencil - No joke, some schools are not teaching penmanship or handwriting anymore. I'm sorry, but the power will go out, the wifi/data will have a glitch, or someone will hand you a form that you can't E-sign. And remember, other people have to read that stuff.
Balance a checkbook - "Oh well, I have electronic banking." Good luck finding an error if you're not keeping up with it yourself. Again, something else gone by the wayside. We were taught how to keep a checkbook in 5th or 6th grade when we were just learning the concepts of broke and hormonal.
Conduct adult business such as paying bills and gathering information on your own - Please stop calling me to look up phone numbers for you. Do I look like AT&T?
Eat - at a table, with a knife and fork, without electronics present, on real dishes, etc.
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| No, just, no. |
Disagree - Jon Acuff said, "Discourse in our country died the day we decided that if I disagree with you it means I hate you." Adults can disagree without waging all out war. There aren't many of those left. Please become one of them.
Love - Immature love is selfish. Mature love serves others.
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| Photo courtesy of praisejesusdaily.com |
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