1980

Daily writing prompt

What’s a moment when you realized you were officially an adult?

When I was a teenager, we saw 18 as the light at the end of the tunnel. So, perhaps that was the moment. In my earlier teens, we used to think in terms of drinking in pubs and clubs and going to “over-18” movies. As it happened, I committed my life to Christ when I was 18 – in August 1980 – 46 years ago.

Here’s a picture that I took on Cape Clear, an island off the coast of West Cork on the day before. I remember listening to a Johnny Cash gospel tape while taking the pic. That was before the Walkman tape recorders, so it must have been a standard one.

So I didn’t bother with pubs and clubs etc after that. I was more into church life – but I never lost my love for secular music, though I was no longer in awe of some of the stars in the way I had been as a teen. Maybe that would have happened anyway, even if I hadn’t committed my life to Christ.

Reaching 21 is often seen as becoming a proper adult. And perhaps that was momentous too. I started feeling a little old. I remembering going to a U2 concert in Cork City Hall when I was around 20 and noticing lots of younger folk – maybe only about two years younger, but they seemed like a generation below me at that age. I had been into punk – now it was ska, synth pop, post punk and so on, It made me feel like an old hippie – or an old punk 😀.

You had to be 21 to do my particular third-level college course. So, when I started that, I noticed all the younger students around the place – all only a few years younger, but I felt like an old guy

Another moment was getting married and having our first child. I felt truly grow up when we had kids. And now I have a grandchild. But I’m still 18 – or at least something within makes me feel like I’m 18 😀. I like to think that I’ll be 18 in heaven – and for all eternity. – but I don’t know how that’ll all work.

I always like to close with a few songs or hymns – to make up for my awful writing 😀. Here are a few momentous songs from 1980 – at least for me: