Getting older, wiser

As I turned 24, I felt like I’d grown more than that, and now I think like a 30something. Trivia: My birthday is called “Coming of Age Day” in Japan. Suits me. And here are the signs that you’re aging like I am:

You hate Lady Gaga and Rebecca Black. And you probably don’t like Taylor Swift, Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez, and Justin Bieber. You think it’s a waste of airtime when you hear their songs on the radio. Real music to you is classical piano and strings. And when you’re in a karaoke bar with your friends, you belt “Alone” by Heart or sing “All This Time” by Tiffany, “Too Many Walls” by Cathy Dennis and “Steep” by Lauren Christy.

You frown on teenage girls wearing short shorts and thick makeup and chatting loudly about their love life in a public vehicle. You think they don’t know what love is and how to handle a relationship at age 14. You silently wish them good luck in their studies and hope they won’t get pregnant anytime soon. And as they get off the vehicle, you hold your stare, silently worrying about what will become of the children in the future, especially your would-be kids.

You know the difference between need and want when you go to the mall. You don’t want to spend your money on iPhones, iPods, and DSLR cameras even if they please your eyes. You think you can spend the money on more important things like tissue paper, soap, shampoo and, of course, the bills. You just want to save your hard-earned money or donate it to charity.

You watch the news more than the telenovelas. You feel bad when you miss “TV Patrol” or “24 Oras” because you won’t know what is happening in the Philippines and the rest of the world. Your favorite channels are GMA News TV, CNN and BBC.

You give more than you receive, especially on special occasions. You’re the one giving your godparents pamasko on Christmas. And you don’t expect your parents to give you gifts even on your birthday.

You’re gaining friends aged 30 and up. The recent one is a 40something married man, a lawyer, an Atenean, and probably a basketball varsity player in high school, to whom you have just given love advice: Bite the bullet, act like the grownup man that you are. And he’s surprised that a little, thin, sickly (and let’s add cute) girl like you can say something like that, as though you’re Olive Oyl telling that to Popeye.

You’ve accepted that you win some and lose some in social relationships. You’ve realized that some people—your ex, for example—might not be good for you, and that you’ve got to sever ties. And you keep those people who support and take care of your emotional health.

You use “you” and “us” more often than “I” and “mine.”

You pat yourself on the back every time you realize you have a higher EQ now than when you were sweet 16.

If you’ve gotten tired of nodding at the points listed above, then welcome to adulthood, my friend!

Cristta Igloria, 24, is an associate publishing specialist at Thomson Reuters.