growing up won't bring us down

The other day, I was sent into a gas station to get some snacks. Stevie came in while I was checking out and told me to get more snacks. Since I only had a 5 dollar bill I told her grandpa needed to give us some more money to get the rest. She came back in with a 10, got the chips everyone wanted and then went up to the checkout. I waited behind her with the things I had already bought, but let her give the man her money herself. He said it was $2.75 or whatever and she handed him the $10 and grabbed her bags of chips and turned to me and smiled, expecting us to walk out together. I told her she needed to get her change before she left and the cashier thankfully said something similar about the same time. Its not really a significant story, not particularly tragic or even eventful, and Stevie might not even remember it a few years from now. I remember being taught that you need to think about how much money you pay for things and make sure the cashier isn't trying to rip you off since you're a kid and you don't know any better. 

Its just that I was particularly mindful that I was the adult in this scenario telling Stevie to try to add in her head and note how much money she had.

I was the adult.

I am the adult.

I'm the adult? 

Wait, what?! 

But, that can't be right... I'm the kid that has to make sure I'm not getting ripped off by the big cashier man.

I guess I'm not. Anymore.

Its weird, I know, but all this time, when I go into the door of the restaurant first, I always feel like I have done something out of the ordinary when I say "Four" when they ask how many at your table. Like a little girl that gets to tell the hostess because she asked her mom before she went in if she could be the big girl and tell them how many at the table that night. 

I still feel like the kid pretending and practicing to give the guy the money like Stevie did.

I suppose that its a good thing, what with still feeling like this and all, that I was able to easily transform into a grownup in that moment and nudge Stevie to get her change instead of both of us just linking arms, skipping out the door and slurping our slushies out the door while the guy kept our $7.25. 

But, honestly when it comes to some adult things, I'd rather stick to the slushie side of things, pick up toads and stick a ring pop in my hair instead of doing those crazy things adults do like go to bed voluntarily at 9:30, and whine at kids about leaving the door open while the air conditioner's on. 

You can't get the best of both worlds they say.

I guess I'll try my darndest.