If there was one event in your life that defined you as an adult, what would it be?

Question

An awakening from the slumber of youth if you will.

Answer 1

The first Christmas after my first husband abandoned my 2-year-old son and myself in a house with inferior heating in the middle of a horrible midwestern snowstorm -- I turned 25 the week after he left.

My mother was unable to come get us until January, and I really didn't want to deal with his mother, who was prone to excuse his behavior.

I took responsibility for my debts. I went home and took care of my ailing grandfather in exchange for a place to live for my son and me. I got a job as a dishwasher to have some sort of income and started looking toward school. I spent the next several years contacting my creditors and paying them all back. I scrabbled from being on the Chex Systems and having such bad credit I couldn't get a credit card to being a homeowner last year (with help from my current husband, who is very level-headed).

When I realized my choices, even my inaction, had consequences which affected my family, I grew up.

Answer 2

The day that I saw one of my best friend's die in a car accident while we were together and then I went to bury her along with my friends. She was my age, and that point it made me truly realize that life is really too short to bother about the small silly things, and start doing the right thing at a time and stop being such a brat about everything I do.
I started really growing and follow things the right way no matter what! Cause I'll be punished for things I do, for harming people, for doing things I shouldn't do. As I truly believe now that what comes around goes around!
So basically at the day I just knew it! I have to change!!!
That was about 8 months ago by the way...

Answer 3

This would have to be Valentine's Day 2002, because I lost my father aged 53 (Michael) brother aged 33 (Michael) & nephew aged 8 years (Michael). They were fishing at sea and never came home that night, their boat and they were lost for eight and a half weeks, even though they died on the 14/02/02 they weren't buried until 17th April 2002. All we prayed for after realising that they weren't coming home alive was the return of their bodies for a proper burial. This definitely defined as an adult.

Answer 4

Being shot at in Londonderry the training and survival skills just kicked in, no fear or panic just a firefight with lots of things happening but very little shouting by all around who just got on with it

Only reflecting on it later did I know that I was really good at what I do and that despite all the trauma around me I was now an adult

Answer 5

Once at a time when I had to make up my mind to determine what I should I do for the future of my life and started asking myself the philosophical question 'What is the meaning of life?'.

But in my view, for most people, they become adults when they act in a way to be responsible for their acts.

By the way, my answer to my above question is ... there is no meaning of life.

Answer 6

I don't think I will ever feel like an adult (I'm 27) which is weird because I never did normal 'teenage' things either. I think I might be 'stuck' at age 9 or something.

Answer 7

after being awake for a few weeks,i sat on the grass and relized that ive done wrong, not only to others but to myself. i relized that i needed to be a GOOD person because thats how i actually am and should be.i had an epiphany that day. i honestly recognized that there is NO justification for being a bad person

Answer 8

When I graduated from high school. I lost contact with most of my friends and had to survive on my own in college. I grew up really fast in the first few months.

Answer 9

No one defining event - first Christmas without toys as presents, leaving home and starting training as a nurse, first masturbatory experience.

Answer 10

Having Cancer at age 19. That made me realize how short life is. And then to find out I am pregant two years later. Those two things have really helped me to grow up.