Prepared after all

Tyler asked me the other day: "Who let us become adults anyway?"

It's a good question — one that my friend Tara and I have often discussed. We've known each other since we were 8 or 9 years old, and it's hard to imagine how far we've come from playing battleship at elementary school sleepovers, to moving out of our folks' homes in order to make news ones for ourselves.

My dad always said that all he ever wanted was to raise my brother and me so we'd be equipped to make decisions on our on. He never told us what we should do with our lives — he just made sure we had all the proper tools to handle situations and opportunities that came our way.

And I think those tools are what brought me into adulthood, whether I wanted some of the responsibilities or not. If you ask my mom, she'll tell you've I've been ready for more responsibilities since I was little. When I was in preschool, she didn't buy me the Barbie car I wanted (remember those electric cars for little kids to drive?) because she knew I'd try to take it on the road to see my friends. I guess I told her that I thought it was the kid's version of an automobile, and it was my way of getting around the 16-year-old age requirement.

But it's one thing to think you're ready than to realize you're ready. No matter what is waiting around the corner, I know I'm set to make those choices now.

I guess I'm prepared after all.