By Josephine Amoako

If there’s one thing I wasn’t prepared for, it’s this thing called adulting. I remember seeing young adults smartly dressed in their formal attires and me in my oversized school uniform and wishing to be in their shoes. Instead of having to endure the daily anxiety of being whipped at school due to lateness (the traffic was terrible and my dad wouldn’t let us leave home early!), I would actually be doing some work that I’m passionate about and help make my country and the world a better place. Little did I know…

If I had known that growing up isn’t as fun as I thought, I would have taken my time to enjoy my childhood more. However, that ship has sailed now and I have no other choice but to face the stressful and exhausting music.

I thought I was the only person feeling overwhelmed with this new world I find myself in until I found some tweets of people expressing similar sentiments. “Whew!” was all I could let out; sighing of relief that I wasn’t going through some crisis but it was like a wave blowing over people in my age bracket. I was not getting depressed; it was just an unsettling phase.
Unfortunately, there’s no one to blame for my unpreparedness. Did I get a sit-down chat about how it feels like to join the adult club? Nah, I don’t get to experience those moments but even if I did, I doubt it would have helped much in cushioning the shock of this thing called adulting.

It’s been a roller coaster of emotions – being optimistic, indifferent, overjoyed, morose, pessimistic, hopeful and it starts all over again. It’s exhausting, no doubt but I’ve come to realize that, to benefit fully from this phase; I should keep an open mind about every experience. Every day has a lesson to teach me so I should look beyond the people and situations that come my way and find something hopeful to hold on to.
Where am I headed? Am I even on the right track? Is there something I should be learning or doing that I haven’t started yet? What is my purpose here on earth? These questions give me headache and anxiety.

One thing that has become part of me now is that I talk to God more often now. Whenever I feel overwhelmed, I just start praying. I talk, cry, wait for His assurance in my heart (and peace of mind that only He can provide) and move on. It gets tiring when I talk and cry about the same things over and over but at least, it takes the depressing feeling away. I know God’s got my back and as long as my mama keeps praying for me, it shall be well.

I don’t know how adulting is treating you but if you seem to have had a hang of it and sailing afloat, do your sister a favor and send some tips over, yeah? T for Thanks.

© Josephine Amoako 2018