30 Signs You're Going on 30

Welcome to another "Hey! You're getting older" post. As if you haven't read enough of these already. Yet here you are. . .reading another one. 

Last week my oldest niece and I were riding around running errands and she asked me whether she could ask me a question. I said sure and she said: 

Niece:"How old are you auntie?" 
Me: "How old do you think I am?"
Niece: "You must be old. Cuz you know a lot of stuff. You know all of my homework answers and you're smarter than my Principal." 
Me: "I'm almost 30." 
Niece: "So does that mean you're almost old? Cuz 30 is sooooo old!"
Me: "I hope you laugh at this convo when you're my age."

Gotta love the kids. 

People born in 1985 turn 30 this year. 

WHO COMMISSIONED THAT?!? 
Thirty? 
30?!!!!!!
What does this mean?
What's the learning curve?
Do I have to stop bullish*ttin or else I'm gonna feel like a failure on the daily? 
Do I have to finally be responsible? 
Is it the age I have to know better? 
Is it the age I FINALLY have to do better?
Is it the age I have to carry a sweater with me at all times?
Is it the age I start to keep tailgating chairs in my trunk in case I find myself at a parade or have to stand in a line?
Is it the age I have to stop living young and wild with 20-somethings?

Nooooooooooooooo!!! 
MAKE IT STOP!!! 
Make time stop!
How did this happen so fast?
Seems like I was just turning 25 last year!

*breathe*

Ok. 30 isn't old. 109 is old. & apparently the secret to living to 109 is avoiding men. 

10 year old me should have managed her dreams better. I'm supposed to be married to The Famous Jett Jackson (RIP) and rich with a house on the lake by now. 

You don't need to focus on that new wrinkle or that rogue gray hair(there will be more!), here are 30 signs you're going on 30: 

30. You Start to ACT Like Your Parents. 
29. You start to SOUND like your parents.
28. You've come a long way from that 18 year old who used to get overdraft fees on the regular. Or maybe not. 
27. You start to plan for retirement. 
26. You have noticeable gray hairs. 

25. Your Favorite Celebs (not named Nia Long) Have Aged. 
24. The actors who played kids on your favorite shows are all grownups with families. 
23. The actors who played the mother and father figures on your favorite shows are dying. *sigh*

22. You Wake up with Random Ailments. 
21. Not only that, but you come up with random ways to explain them because  you know if you check WebMD it's going to tell you you're dying. 
20. Your Priorities Have Changed. Face it: The things that used to be so important just aren't so important anymore. 

19. You've got a "bucket list." As in a "things to do before you die" list. 
18. You Value Spending Time With Family. 
17. You appreciate your parents more because you realize at some point they were just like you. 

16. You Don't Understand the Youth. 
15. You complain about current music and language. 
14. You stay away from "18 to party" clubs cuz those kids don't know how to act. 
13. Oh and what the hell is "Bustin out the bando?" 

12. Your Facebook Newsfeed is mostly think pieces and pictures of families.  
11. Your Approach to (life/dating/friendships)has Changed. 
10. You're playing by your own rules. You make em. You make exceptions to 'em. You break 'em. 
9. You stopped caring what other people think. You have realized it's your life and you
 live it unapologetically. Salute!

8. You're not interested in partying. 
7. You tried to party "hard" and your body failed you. 
6. You've set boundaries on fun: ONE after work happy hour/week and clubbing ONE weekend day/month. 

5. You favorite part of going to the club is when it's time to leave. 
4. Your second favorite part of going to the club is the "throwback" songs set. Those are the songs you actually know.
3. You remember "the good ol days." Like when you sang the lyrics to songs you didn't really understand and your biggest worry was what time your friends could come out to play. 

2. You spend "the weekend" doing adult things like laundry and running errands.  Next stop: Responsibility-ville with the Chief of the Fun Police.

1. You need help with Electronics. Go ahead. Ask the barely legal phone rep how to access certain features on your new phone. 

Awwww do ya feel old? Beloved, it is ok to age. Find a good moisturizer and age gracefully. As an aside, if you don't have it "all together" just be patient with yourself. We are often our own worst critics and that means we see things as worse than they really are. Things will fall into place. Resist the urge to compare yourself to your peers. You may not have your dream job, or a dream house, or be married or have a child yet, but if those things are meant for you they will happen for you. You may not be where you want to be, but with a plan in place you won't be in the same place for long. 

I'm blessed (I'm willing to bet you are too). I'm rich in ways that don't involve money (got a few coins too tho lol). And I DO have my house by the lake if you count my law school loans as a house. The deed is rolled up under my bed collecting dust. 

Live it up! 
Take Chances! 
Make Mistakes! 
Get Messy! 

Then go take a nap. 

Peace.