I read somewhere, somebody, complaining that millennials aren’t properly grown up, and that they even use the word “adult” as a verb, as in “I don’t want to adult.”

I’m not a millennial, I’m evidently Gen X (though I don’t recall that I was growing, I recall being Gen Y growing up, but now I’m Gen X and Gen Y has been renamed, so whatever) and…it gets old hearing people complain about young folks. I think every generation has worked hard, and for those of us entering the workplace post-9-11 it has been exceptionally hard. And yet constantly we are being told how lazy we are and how we just expect everything to be given to us, and all I see are people working really hard.

Most of the time when people make the “adulting” joke it’s about stuff like dealing with financial paperwork or insurance issues, perhaps renewing a driver’s license, or more complicated things like dealing with sick parents or a pet. Does anybody look forward to those things?

For me lately, it’s the sick pet thing…Chloe has been picking at her fur and skin again, and the other day had a horrible spot on her side. We put the cone back on for the foreseeable future, and took her to the vet. We aren’t certain yet the source of her issues, but I hope we can figure it out soon. She doesn’t pee in the litter boxes anymore, either…sigh. Having older cats is tough, but I hope we can figure out what’s going on.

This week has been going by in a blur. The fall has been busy, tiring, and pretty hard. Things are generally good, but just that there’s been so much to deal with!  Once Louie finishes school and starts working I think everything will be a little easier…at least his schedule might be easier, and that stress will be lifted.  I tend to pick up his stress and also have my own (keeping my schedule intact and keeping up to date on my students is a constant stress, not to mention performing, and then all the around the house stuff, plus dealing with a sick kitty.)

I’m happy that November is here. I’m not really into Halloween like some people are, and frankly I’m glad it’s over. It was starting to annoy me. (I know, I know…I sound old and cranky!) But Thanksgiving, well that’s a holiday I can get on board with. And this weekend I am traveling to a wedding in Phoenix and though it’s ALSO adding to my stress (early travel! how to pack to avoid checking a bag! playing violin at the wedding!) it should be a lot of fun and I can’t wait to see Leslie and my niece. Next weekend ALSO has a few fun activities planned, and then I’ll be visiting family for Thanksgiving, so this month is full of good stuff…hopefully. And not that the every day isn’t nice, but October felt like I was working all the time, and I’m looking forward to having some downtime this month. Fingers crossed!

I do feel like my blog posts this fall have been whiny…sorry to make you read it if that’s the case (maybe they have always been like this?) I think I have to work harder on choosing what to stress over and what to let go…or I have too much on my plate?  It’s not that I’m too busy even, but just that it’s hard to feel like I’m on top of things. I guess having 38 students means there are always a few things to take care of. I really should do what people suggest and have a set time to deal with emails and non-time urgent things. Maybe I’ll start ONLY dealing with those to-do’s in the morning, and spend a certain amount of time, and then move on with my life. Music lessons are rarely a life-or-death situation, but sometimes rescheduling feels like it.

I sometimes read my old blog posts and think that I write worse today than I used to. I wonder if that’s true or if I am more critical of myself in the present day than in retrospect. Thoughts?