1. Flossing - I could just never really get into flossing before recently. I'd try for a few days, but the irritation of cutting off the circulation to my fingers while trying to reach my
molars with a spit-covered piece of string always overshadowed the potential benefits of taking care of my gums, and I'd lose interest. Then I stumbled upon floss picks while at CVS with my mother. They're so easy to use! Suddenly plaque is my enemy, and it is my joy to rid my teeth of its menace. I can feel my gums getting stronger with each passing day. I would swear to you that my smile looks brighter. And the best part? Mom bought the pack for me, so I didn't even have to shell out the 4 bucks myself. Nice. Moving on.2. Wearing Pantyhose - I understand that this doesn't so much apply to the literal Gentlemen in our readership, but it's still relevant. No teenaged girl I've ever met has willingly wanted to wear
pantyhose. They're bunchy, itchy, saggy, and infuriating. Or so I thought. Until one night I decided to wear a skirt to work (doing laundry on a regular basis is one of those grown-up traits I haven't quite fallen into yet), but was concerned I'd get chilly sitting by the open door all evening. So I dragged out a pair of pantyhose. Not only was I kept nice and toasty warm during my entire shift, but every time I walked by the mirror on my way into the kitchen, I couldn't help but think, "Damn, are those MY legs?" I looked sleek and sophisticated, and I kind of liked it.
But neither of these things can compare to my greatest achievement:
3. Eating Vegetables - I know, I know. Vegetables are good for me. I'm supposed to eat 5 a day. I get it intellectually. But vegetables taste gross! Right? Turns out, not so much. The chefs at Feast do a pretty awesome job of making tasty veggie dishes, and consider me their own personal pet project. First it was the sweet potato puree. Then the curried cauliflower soup. Oo, and the vegan potato salad. Next thing you know, I'm diving into a plate of asparagus. Asparagus. And then, funny thing - I started waking up earlier in the morning. I have more energy throughout the day. I have less room for dessert after meals. My pants are starting to loosen around the waist. I'm... I'm becoming healthier.
And then, one day, sitting at Franklin's in College Park with fellow Gentleman David Pratt, it happened. I was perusing the menu and when I read the description of their spinach salad, I thought, "That sounds DELICIOUS!" Wait, what? I'm craving vegetables now? Well damn. Look who's acting her age. Weird.
(The downside to all this fantastic adult discovery? My mother is now frolicking in the land of I Told You So.)
I can't imagine that I'm alone in this feeling. So please, comment away gentle readers - what magical tidbits of adulthood have you discovered that are surprisingly amazing? Maybe together we can all learn to be a little bit more grown up.
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9 comments:
Agreed on 2/3. I'm all about those flossers. And one trick I do now is I'll have baby carrots and grapes as a late night snack, it sounds odd but it works in getting closer to 5 a day.
Floss picks are awesome I love those things.
On wearing pantyhose, best wishes.
And on eating vegetables, I know, right? As an adult I find that spinach is delicious, whereas 8 years ago it didn't quite agree with me. The days of getting by solely on a bag of double stuf oreos and a glass of milk are long gone.
I completely agree, Steve! Now I can only eat half a bag of oreos before I need to stop and have myself something green and leafy.
And Max, I like your carrots/grapes idea. I had been munching on baby carrots from time to time, but it would be that much more delicious to add some grapes to it. And that would be two!
Flossing: I've been doing it forever. Part of my hating peoples mouths, I feel the need to keep mine as clean as possible.
Pantyhose: I wore them once, for a school recital where I played Lord Baltimore. I was dashing. I'm cool with them.
Vegetables: Black beans, corn, asparagus, peppers, broccoli, carrots. Much more commonly in the past year than in all the years before combined. I even went 4 days without eating meat one time!!
3/3 FLAWLESS VICTORY
Ali! I adore this post! As I do everything you have written that I have had the privilege to read. :)
Flossing: never could manage it until I found the little flosser doo-dads myself a few years ago. They rock, and I floss on a daily basis. I love how clean my mouth feels after a good regimen of listerine, flossing, and brushing. I even have Anthony flossing every day too.
Panty Hose: I don't like wearing them all of the time, but when the situation calls for it, they are useful. I like feeling like a lady, cause, you know, I am one.
Veggies: Surprisingly, I got big into salads and veggies back in high school because a) I love tomatoes so much that I will probably try almost any food you can offer me if it pairs well with them, and b) my best friend Sarah was a vegetarian and was already all healthy and veggie eating, and she was a good influence on me. We used to have salad days where we'd go to Giant's salad bar and make up an enormous salad to share and eat until our bellies were full of all of our favorite good-for-you things.
I still crave salads to this day, though very few people I know believe that one can actually crave salad. But you, Sarah and I know better, don't we?
PS - Love the image of your mom frolicking in the land of I Told You So. I hear it's lovely there this time of year.
I've always been a pantyhose fan- I'm so pale that my bare legs are a little appalling.
Thanks to this post, I'm going to give pantyhose another go.
These Gentlemen - changing the world one sheerly clad leg at a time.
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