real life has just begun

i remember the day when i bought my first household appliance. it was a single tub washing machine, and for the life of me, i realized that i didn't exactly know what one should consider in buying a washing machine. so while i could easily rattle off spike's specifications when i first bought him, and in fact, knew more or less what these specifications meant, i was at a loss when it came to laundry equipment. nevertheless, i was excited, and couldn't help but gushing to my friends that after having bought one, i was finally an adult.

admittedly, the same feeling came when i bought myself a life insurance/retirement policy, when i invested a portion of my money in stocks, and when i was faced with a broken pipe at 5 in the morning.

still, being an adult in my personal life didn't automatically translate to being an adult at work. yes, as a court attorney i sometimes held a man's liberty in my hands, and yes, a a junior associate, i had to appear for and in behalf of clients. in the court of appeals, i dispensed justice with flair, and at the law firm, i fought long and hard to ensure my clients the justice they deserved. but, for some reason, it felt like child's play -- i was being paid for doing something they needed me to do, and that was okay. i was passionate about work, but thinking about it now, maybe not as passionate as i thought.

cause when i entered my new workplace last friday, i couldn't help but thinking, hey, this is real life. and real life, at the ripe old age of 33, has finally begun.