Adulting

I joined the Navy when I was seventeen. A recruiter told me the two most important things were paying attention to detail and being where you were supposed to be when you were supposed to be there. We called it CYA - "Cover Your Ass". In life, as well as the military, it can be a costly lesson to learn. The Navy didn't teach me to be responsible. It taught me to be accountable.


A sense of responsibility comes from within when the things that you are accountable for become important when no one is watching and before they become consequences. It requires maturity, awareness, and self-honesty. Blaming others for your failures and lack of success only serves to continue the cycle.

Drama doesn't just walk into your life out of nowhere. You either create it, invite it, or associate with people who bring it. Choose wisely.

Today there is a phrase "Adulting". It's appearing to be adultlike when others are watching; paying attention to details and being where you are supposed to be, when you are supposed to be. It is not synonymous with being an adult. It is a fragile, crappy, dangerous illusion.

If you value rules and stability above all else then you have stopped living. Helen Keller said, "Life is a daring adventure or it is nothing at all." We can have positive adventures when we take care of our needs and responsibilities first. Otherwise, our adventures will tend to be far less positive and have potentially dire, life-altering consequences.

Grace Slick said, "It's better to ask for forgiveness than to ask
for permission." Yes, sometimes you just have to go balls out and live a little, but if you live by that ask for forgiveness mentality you will alienate the people who would otherwise be there for you and make sacrifices for you because they value your well being and future.

Don't be a sheeple or a child. Be an adult. Take responsibility for your choices and actions. Take at least a passing glance before you leap. Remember that what you do has a ripple effect. The human brain keeps growing until we are twenty-five. After that, if you're not an adult yet, all you have are sorry excuses. Quit thinking you are entitled to things that you haven't earned yourself.

Take care of the little things and the big things will take care of themselves. Remember, a man (or woman) is only as good as his (or her) word. Let your word be your bond. Strive always to live a life of probity; integrity and uprightness.

Grow up. Be a real adult. Keep your word even when no one seems to be watching. Be Loyal. Be your own person.

Be the person your dog thinks you are.