Boy::Man::Girl::Woman

[Omphaloskepsis]

My sister made a comment tonight about the fact that I have finally become a man. I'm 28 years old. I still feel like a boy.. I propose a question for the gents.. When did you start feeling like a man? Did a certain event tip the scale?

Same goes for the ladies.. I assume kids will play a huge role in this regardless of gender. So when did you start feeling like a lady?


I'm drunk.. I love you.. Did this make sense?

[reyd reid reed]

1. I've finally accepted

The fact that I'm too old to be a 'girl', but it was still shocking the first time an adult called me ma'am. And the first gray hairs were traumatic.

[Heidi]

7. Welcome to DU!

:hi:

[Oeditpus Rex]

2. I've been male all my life

Yet I have no idea what it means to "feel like a man" — or, for that matter, to "act like a man."

[Omphaloskepsis]

3. I don't either...

I was wishing for a firm definition..

[Lochloosa]

12. Go shoot someone in the face.

That'll do it.

[JVS]

4. There was a tipping event, before which it could have swung either way.

But as my brother and I stood in the back left corner of the room, with mom across from us sitting on the sofa and we conversed with those who came to wish us condolences and pay their respects to father, who lay at the front of the funeral parlor room, I knew that there was no going back. That day was 9/23/2005

[Omphaloskepsis]

5. I have also lost my father...

:hug:

[Oeditpus Rex]

9. Yeah — the day my dad died

or the day after, really, I remember thinking something like, "Well, dude, you're on your own now," and I felt sort of like I instantly grew up a little.

I dunno. Is that what it means? :shrug:

[MaryBear]

23. When my mom died, I thought of myself

as an orphan. Still do at times so I guess that makes me a girl.

Then, again, being called "Miss" by someone much younger than I is particularly annoying, so maybe I am a growup after all.

:shrug:

[Heidi]

6. I don't even think of it in terms of gender.

I think of it in terms of evolved humanity, compassion toward others, and love of myself, and self-sufficiency. I was 36 before I was rollin' on all four wheels, so to speak. I don't think it's an easy road for anyone. :hug:

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

8. I voted "Girl" because...

I still call everyone girls. I'm a 23 (turning 24 on Monday) female and I pretty much refer to most women under 50 or so as girls. It's a weird habit. I also say "chick" and "dude" a lot. "Dude" may still be in reference to a "girl" though. I know it's not correct, but it's a habit. So far, no one has complained to me.

[eyepaddle]

13. I have checked the latest Oxford English Dictionary

but I'm pretty sure that "dude" and to a lesser extent "guy" have become unisex terms.

Maybe it's situation dependent--e.g. "What do you guys want on the pizza?" probably doesn't exclude the females present from sounding off.

To wrap up--I don't think you are breaking an serious language laws!

By the way I voted "man" because to borrow a line from Krusty the Klown "I'm ALLLL man, I can assure you!" :rofl:

Well, that and the first gray hairs in my beard pretty much settled it.

[Heidi]

10. Kick for the day crew. This is an insightful question. (nt)

[kick-ass-bob]

11. I have kids and still feel like a little boy sometimes.

It is a good feeling to have. Having fun with no worries. Worries can wait for later.

[Heidi]

14. It's a beautiful thing to see a man in that moment.

Few things make me happier than seeing Call Me Wesley unguarded and free of daily concerns, playing with the cat, laughing with our goddaughters, forgetting to be "a man." Adult culture beats fun out of men, in some ways, I think. :( Women, too, probably.

[kick-ass-bob]

18. I have a pic in my office of me playing b'ball with my son

when he was like 4, on one of those little kiddy hoops. I love that pic.

Screw adult culture. I've started ignoring that recently. :D

[Heidi]

19. I know exactly what you mean.

When I was six years old, and my sister was five, we were adopted by the most wonderful couple on earth. But our new dad was just 26, stern, just returned from a tour of Vietnam, and, understandably, often overwhelmed not only by his new responsibilities, but by the Vietnam experience. Once in a while, though, there was a light in my dad's eyes, a delight at having two bright, inquisitive and challening daughters. That special light in my dad's eyes is the first time I ever saw the sort of joy you're talking about. Here's the only photo I have of it (and I'll probably delete the photo later).


Daddy and us, Kentucky, summer 1970

[kick-ass-bob]

21. .

:thumbsup:

:)

[Heidi]

25. .

I'll delete the photo now from my Photobucket account. Just wanted you, as a father and as a man, to know how much the boy in you could mean to your kid(s) 35 years from now. :thumbsup:

[tinfoilinfor2005]

15. My mom almost died laughing one year when the whole family

went on a camping trip and my dad said to her and my grandmother, "You girls decide where you want your tent set up." My five year old daughter was staring incredulously at them, and said to mom, "Are you the GIRLS grandpa is talking about?" I guess age and beauty are in the eye of the beholder! :)

[Ohio Joe]

16. Well...

When I was 17, I knew everything and was a man. Today, at 42, I find that I KNOW nothing and feel like a boy.

[Heidi]

17. Sounds like you've evolved, _a lot_.

You're probably a lot better company now than you were at 42, as well. :hi:

[REDKING]

20. I have no idea how to judge...

I turned 41 last month and still behave like i'm 17 sometimes.
I dont know quite how to answer this..My head is now a bit pickled.

[Orsino]

22. I'll have to let you know. n/t

[Left Is Write]

24. Oh, I go back and forth.

I know I'm a grown up; I have a husband, three kids and a mortgage payment.

But some days I still feel like a seventeen-year-old girl.

[imperialismispasse]

26. There will always be a part of me that is a 10 year old boy

[In_The_Wind]

27. I have always felt like a Lady.

Southern women were raised to think and feel that way from the time they're very young.

[Lisa0825]

28. Just recently... and I am 37.

I've had a really hard time dealing with some major issues in my life in the last 5 years. I remember when I was in my early 20s and going through a lot. I cried to my mom, and asked "Why is life so hard? Does it ever get easier?" She replied, "It doesn't get easier. It gets harder. But you learn to handle it. That's what growing up is." For years after that, I still felt like i was always just another stumble away from total failure. I didn't feel competent to handle all the little hurdles that life throws at you. Then my mom died. That was 5 years ago. She was my safety net. When I couldn't handle life, I could still lean on her. I fell into a long depression, and mismanaged pretty much every aspect of my life. I am still dealing with the consequences of that. Only in the past year have I finally felt like I am in control of most of my life. Also only in the past year have I started to feel like it's OK to be alone.

In the past 8 months, I have gotten a home equity loan, paid off old debts, started graduate school, began major home improvements, and bought a car. Previously, having to deal with any ONE of those issues was enough to make me extremely anxious. Now, I am handling it all pretty darn well.

Yeah, I think I am finally feeling like an adult.

[Kid OfThe Black Hole]

29. I wish you'd included an option for Average Joe

or Regular Guy or Nothing Special because those are the terms I happily describe myself with as opposed to boy/man. In the context you're using I'd say most of my energy is devoted to avoiding the responsibilities wrapped up in being a "man" rofl

[China_cat]

30. I've never felt like a 'lady'

(wash your mouth out)

But the general wisdom where I grew up was that a girl only became a woman when her mother died.

[reyd reid reed]

32. Me either

But 'act like a lady' was drilled into my head by my well-meaning mother for so long, I find myself doing it anyway.

I'm getting better, though.

[Nikia]

31. I got used to referring to myself as woman 2nd year college

I was in women's cross country and track. Most of the professors's referred to female students as women. My sorority referred to us and other female students as women. As a result, I began calling myself and other same aged and older females as women.
I am 28 now. In some ways, I feel that I am not doing the adult thing right. I don't have my shit together. Strangely, I was more responsible, in a way, in college. I have so much anxiety that it keeps me from doing the things that I need to be doing to help alieviate some of it.

[matcom]

33. not yet

i'll be 37 next month. still like to think i'm a crazy kid :D