Adulthood Is Not What We Thought It Was

When I was a child, I could not wait to grow up, i wanted to have my own money, my own house and the freedom to do whatever I liked, I thought adulthood meant independence and enjoyment, I used to see adults dressed nicely and buying things without asking anyone for permission, I used to say that I can’t wait to be like them but now that I am grown, I finally understand why people say adulthood na scam.

Adulthood in Nigeria is not a small thing, the economy has made life hard for many people, prices of food, transportation and even simple things like soap keep increasing every week, salary does not increase but expenses keep multiplying, when I was young I didn’t know that adults sometimes go to bed thinking about rent, school fees and how to survive another month, now I understand that the freedom I wanted comes with heavy responsibilities.

Sometimes I laugh when i remember how I used to feel angry each time my parents refused to buy something for me, I thought they were just being stingy, i didn’t know they were managing what they had, now I know better, I know the real meaning of managing, I know what it means to open your pot and calculate how to make one meal last for two days, I know what it means to wake up early to hustle and still end the day tired but with little to show for it.

Things are not the same anymore, back then, five hundred naira could buy enough food to fill your stomach but today that same amount cannot even buy you detergent to wash your clothes not to talk of food, everything is expensive, electricity bills, data subscription, and even water are problems, You have to pay for everything, sometimes I wonder if this is really what I was rushing into when I said I couldn’t wait to grow up to become an adult.

The funniest part is how society expects you to always be strong, you can’t complain too much because everyone is also struggling, you can’t tell your parents because they already have their own worries, you can’t rely on friends because everyone is fighting their own battles as well and that is when you realize that adulthood is not only about paying bills, it is also about learning how to stay strong mentally and emotionally.

Despite all this, there are still small moments that make adulthood worth it, when you are able to help your parents with something, it feels good, when you achieve small goals like paying your rent or buying something you need, there’s a sense of pride in it, those little achievements remind me that even though adulthood feels like a scam sometimes, it also comes with growth and self-respect.

Still, I miss those childhood days when my only worry was doing homework or playing with friends, life was simple then, no bills, no responsibilities, no pressure, now I understand why many adults say, “If I had known, I wouldn’t have rushed to grow up.” Truly, adulthood na scam, a scam we cannot escape because we are already deep inside it.

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This is my response to this week's episode of #hiveghana community prompt

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