TST: The True Marker of True Adulthood (and why it's not what we think)

At first it seems the markers for adulthood are obvious. First, one must have one's own toys... then bra, then more toys, then sex, then one's own room. Sure, dear reader, maybe that's putting the sex before the cart... but you didn't grow up in my family. Unless you did. And then you know what I mean.

Anyway, eventually one gets one's own drink! Then car, then apartment, where can have sex whenever one wants. Now, it seems, adulthood has made a true appearance - anywhere one wants to go, do anything one wants to do, drinky drinky, stay up late, tra lalala, doing with/to whomever one wants to do one's very own things one wants to do! Yes, yes!

But soon (last night) one realizes it is not this, is none of these "this's". These are not what make one An Adult.

The real moment comes when one has new, spare toothbrushes for Guests.

This requires amazing foresight and self-certainty, namely:

1) Certainty that one actually has friends
2) Friends must verifiably no MIND spending a whole night away from their own room/sex/car/apartment;
3) The foresight to be able to predict an as-yet unidentified friend will someday stay.
4) Long-term memory to remember this at the store
5) Disposable income to purchase such a luxury

This luxury entirely depends on the confidence that one has created one's own room, apartment, and friends, and for this, one must be prepared to provide them with what they need too - a fresh clean toothbrush.

This is an inevitable slide toward Grand Adulthood, which is only occasionally represented by this special marker: TST (The Spare Toothbrush).