At only twenty-two years of age, I can feel myself becoming older by the day—notice I said old-er, not old. While I am still very young, my tastes and preferences are becoming more comparable to those of my parents, which terrifies me. Sure just like anyone my age, I love going out and the morning recaps that follow, not worrying about eating too much junk food, and scrolling mindlessly through TikTok. However, my friends have started comparing me to a middle-aged lady, which has inspired me to make this list of ways I have become my parents.
- Candles
I love candles. During my childhood, I always thought of them as nice decorations but nothing to write home about. I can distinctly recall the torture of walking through the isles of Target as my mom smelled every candle she could reach. I don’t know what happened, maybe it was because of Covid-19 that I realized how precious our sense of smell is. Maybe it was when I moved into my first apartment and wanted to make the space my own by adding a signature scent and decoration. All I know is I have added so many candles to my birthday list and I love lighting them in my room or kitchen. The smells always freshen up a space without much work on your end. As I wrote this, I found a candle online called “Seaside and Citrus” and my heart skipped a beat.
- Noisy neighbors are annoying
Look, it’s college, so I get it. Sometimes your fellow students get too rowdy during the night. Perhaps they are enjoying a get-together with friends and are making memories they will carry with them for the rest of their lives… or maybe they are just drunk. Either way, I am the person standing at the window glaring at the cars across the street trying to figure out which one of you thinks it is a good idea to honk repeatedly to get your friends’ attention. I see you and I am shaking my head in disapproval.
- Cleaning the house before guests arrive
As a kid, my mom or dad always yelled at me to clean my room and the house before our guests came over. In my mind, the house was never that dirty so what were my parents annoyed at? Now I get it. My roommates are allowed to bring whoever they want over, whenever they want (barring special circumstances). My only request is that they let me know beforehand because I have to put away our dishes, mop the floor, and clean the bathrooms. My pride and sense of being a productive and functioning adult are on the line every time a guest enters our apartment.
- Posters need frames
As a college student, I love posters. Especially inexpensive posters because they are a great way to spice up your space in whatever style you are into. I love landscapes and what my friends deem as “Stuff you would find in the lobby at a dentist’s office.” Whenever I buy a poster or painting the first thought that comes to my mind is “What kind of frame would look good with this?” It completes the artwork, adding a mature outline that encapsulates the meaning of… I don’t know. I just like wooden frames, okay?
- Funny dish towels
Usually, I gawk at the terrible Facebook memes of Gen X-ers and Baby Boomers. For some reason, whenever that humor is applied to dish towels I am all for it. My aunt bought me funny dish towels last Christmas and they’re one of the best gifts I’ve ever received. Over clean white fabric is a print of a chicken. The accompanying caption reads “Rise and shine mothercluckers.” They are just so silly and make me giggle every time. I don’t care who finds them cringy, my kitchen is full of positive vibes.
6. Screaming at sports
Recently I’ve been watching the historical Women’s NCAA basketball games. Did you know I was almost a Hawkeye before coming to the University of Michigan? Anyway, I rooted for the University of Iowa women’s basketball team the whole tournament. Despite my team losing (but congratulations South Carolina!), I had a lot of fun along the way. However, while watching I noticed I’ve become my mother. She would always scream and holler at the TV as if the players could hear her, and queue to me this week pacing my house’s living room yelling at the players to rebound more. I even threw my hat in frustration and have created superstitious game day rituals. Funny how that works.
This whole article has basically been a rant about the stereotypical “older things” that I enjoy. My point is not to come across as pretentious, just to say that sometimes your parents are right. Or maybe their weird interests aren’t so weird after all. Eventually, we are all going to act more and more like them, so you might as well give in now!