Can You Be Too Independent?

June 01, 2016 by Cazey Williams in Cazey's Column, Life In Your 20's, life lessons

Adolescent me is a stark contrast from today me. This shouldn’t surprise anyone. Most people change between middle school and adulthood. Theoretically, we get taller. We lose the acne. We get jobs. (Or you don’t and you go to grad school and prolong a miserable academic existence. Just kidding. Or am I?)

However, my personality has changed more dramatically than my comlexion. And not in a Charmander becomes Charzard way (that was a Pokémon reference for those of you didn’t collect cards in second grade). I more was like a Charmander who became Wartortle (don’t worry, I had to Wikipedia the evolution of Pokémon to make that joke).

Growing up, I was the sensitive bookworm. I wore glasses, read Peter Benchley novels, and kept my heart on my chewed-up sleeve (I teethed a lot in third grade). I hid behind my parents’ legs when confronted by strangers. I also ate a lot of cookies (okay, I was morbidly obese; I’m not even joking). And “leader” was the last thing a teacher would write on my report card.

Cazey Made Me Take a Personality Test and Now My Life Makes Sense

June 12, 2015 by Sara Woznicki in Leisure, Life In Your 20's, life lessons, Sara's Column, Tweets and Mascara

As you've probably been able to tell at this point in our blogging careers (can we use the word careers if we're doing this out of passion and not getting paid for it?), Cazey was a busy guy in college. He eventually became a leader in several organizations on campus, and one encouraged him to take personality tests. He talks about these tests frequently, but I blew him off for years.

I couldn't decipher the difference between personality tests and horoscopes. Both could be right by simply stating enough general traits that at least some will apply to you. I've read my horoscope before, and I barely think I'm making up that my daily horoscope once was, "Some days are better than others." Thanks for that deep insight, I feel like I know myself better now. So why bother taking a useless personality test to get the same general results?

"Who's Taking Care of You?" Myself.

March 26, 2015 by Sara Woznicki in Leisure, Life In Your 20's, life lessons, Sara's Column, Tweets and Mascara

I used to shrug when people asked if I was a feminist. Sure, we deserve equal rights. But I'm not in the mood to go on and on about it. High school me thought feminists were the ones on man hunts. Burning bras. Smoking cigs to show we can. Nothing that struck home with me.

Then college happened. We're not getting paid equally. When we're tough, it's because we're a bitch or PMSing, but when a man is, he's a bo$$. That glass ceiling is staring us all in the face, remindng us of our terminal position looming barely one step ahead. We can't take our birth control in public without people getting offended. If we need something done, we either assume the bitch role, or need bat our eye lashes like we're helpless.

Shutterbug Selfie

January 26, 2015 by Cazey Williams in Cazey's Column, Humor, Life In Your 20's, Social Media

Last Saturday my two friends and I grabbed dinner at a neighborhood restaurant. It's a small family place as in, every customer is someone you may have seen on the sidewalk while walking your dog or driving to the grocery store.

I noticed an older gentleman seated smack dab in the center of the restaurant - reading a newspaper. Mind you, it's 8:30 PM on a Saturday (though if we're judging, I should add that my friends and I ordered a mimosa pitcher). And by older, I don't mean octogenarian-maybe-he's-a-widower status. More like he could be a silver fox.

This prompted my friend to say that she always fears eating out alone because she's afraid people will judge her. "When I was younger, I used to say that's one of the reasons I have to get married, so I'll never have to go to dinner alone."

On Defining Adulthood

January 21, 2014 by Sara Woznicki in Life In Your 20's, life lessons, Sara's Column, Tweets and Mascara

During the summer I saw an episode of Kelly and Michael that cited a study saying that 25 is the new 18. Naturally when I googled this to verify I got my facts right, an article with Hannah from Girls pops up, as she is the prime example of the "struggle" to grow up these days, despite not being representative of any of my experiences growing up. Anyways, you probably don't need to read the article, as I just told you the thesis: that adulthood is now postponed until 25. Moving on, I didn't give much thought to this assertion until today, when I started to wonder exactly what constitutes adulthood. I pay rent on my own apartment, I have a full-time job (with bennies AND a retirement plan), and I have the responsibility of maintaining the life of two plants. More recently, I have signed up for my first credit card, and now my dad just sent me all sorts of paperwork so the car will be under my name. I'm feeling pretty "adult" these days.

On the flip side, my parents still pay for my cell phone bill, I still go to them for advice on every major decision, as well as every minor financial decision. I still call my mom when I'm sick, and I still don't have any idea what I'm going to do for tax season.

So am I an adult?

At what point can I say that I am "on my own?" Is it when I stop looking for advice on things? When every bill I owe is in my own name? The article I have previously referenced cites independence as the catalyst to growing up, but that's ambiguous to me.

I can't see myself ever being truly independent from my parents. They've been pretty helpful in the past. Ya know, like paying for college, raising me with a good set of morals, and bringing me all around the state of Connecticut to play some peewee sports. Just because I am living on my own and making my own money doesn't equate independence to me. I am always going to respect their opinion and value their input on my decisions. I am never going to feel totally independent from them.

So if independence isn't a clear indicator of adulthood, what is? I'd love to say it's when I start paying all my own bills, but it would be fiscally irresponsible of me to volunteer to move off the family cell phone plan when it's so cheap to stay with them! And for that, my parents would probably be proud, as I am making a smart decision to continue to mooch off of them indefinitely. Cheers to partial adulthood!