Fooling Everyone

So at what point in life do you feel like a grown-up?

A friend and I had a discussion centered on this the other day. This friend is a Director at an agency and we were talking about her workday. "If anyone had the slightest idea how I spend my day, I'm sure I'd be fired," she said.

It's not that she doesn't work hard. It's just that--like so many of us--she feels like she's "playing" grownup at work. "I ask for tens of thousands of dollars for a promotional event and they give it to me!" she says, amazed.  "Thank God the event turned out to be a success. One of these days I feel like they're going to catch on that I'm just making this stuff up as I go."

And this is a person who is very successful and admired in her field.

I haven't met a person yet who doesn't feel that way at some point in their career.  We just hope no one clues in to the fact that we still feel like a teenager in (ack--how did this happen??) a middle-aged adults body.

I feel that way about my friends with kids. I visit them and think, "Hey--look at that. They found a 7-year-old somewhere and let him hang around the house. How sweet." Perhaps more disturbing is the parents feel the same. "Sometimes we just look at them and our life and think, 'How in the WORLD...?', said friends of mine recently with several children.

I remember when I was young, I thought all grown-ups were all sure of themselves and knew exactly what they were doing. HA! Yet it's a useful illusion. No point in scaring the pants off a bunch of 5-year-olds with the knowledge that we're all just winging it here.