Adulting Done Right

My Business Law professor had a saying:

“There are three things you are guaranteed to have to do in life: live, pay taxes, and die.”

That’s why he spent the first part of his career as a Wills Attorney; giving people the opportunity to disseminate their tangible belongings via a written will (job security and all…). When people die, they become very particular over their things. They want to leave their possessions and fortunes (or lack there of) to those they loved and cared about. Or, you know, not and just have all their crap buried with them (his words, not mine).

Well this post turned rather morbid fairly quickly. Moving on…

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Every year, I get excited to receive my tax forms: my W-2 from work, my 1098-E from paying interest on my student loans, and now something from my retirement account ’cause as the title of this post suggests, I’ve become quite the adult!

At an early age, my father shared some of his tax wisdom with me: if you pay a little more into your state and federal taxes every month, then you most likely will not owe anything come tax season. In fact, you will most likely be getting something back! It’s not like I’m getting more or less in the long run, but everyone knows it’s a much better experience getting money than giving money, especially in regards to the government, so I’ve been giving a little extra every year so that I can expect some money back (hence the excitement mentioned above about getting tax documents- I’m not that weird, I swear.)

I’ve conditioned myself to think of it as a payoff- free money if you will (though we all know money ain’t free!) One year, I put my return towards buying a car. Another year, I used some of it to pay for a vacation. But most recently, I’ve been saddled with student loans which my responsible side has been making me put most of my ‘extra cash’ towards paying off. But that’s no fun. I worked hard for this money to be taken out of my paychecks every month and given back to me in one lump-sum. I deserve to treat myself.

And this year, that’s what I did. I got a tattoo!

I’ve always wanted a tattoo, but I’ve also always been very picky. I’d think about what I wanted, then mull it over until it lost it’s charm, and start thinking of another. The design that I finally decided on was one that I’ve loved since I first saw it. I was still a bit apprehensive on getting it because it’s quite the commitment, but what ultimately made me decide to get it was a quote: ‘It’s not about the meaning of a tattoo, but how it makes you feel.’ I realized I had been putting off getting a tattoo because I was trying to attach all sorts of meanings to it. Not all tattoos need to have some important message or significance. It is okay if it’s just a piece of art, and that’s exactly what I got:

I love it! The top flower is a rose and the bottom is a dahlia- my favorite flower.

Since getting it and showing it off, the first thing people ask is typically, “Did it hurt?” to which I respond, “Oh my God, yes!” Then after they realize this was my first tattoo, they usually make a comment on how big it is for my first tat. Go big or go home right!?

But these comment got me thinking: if I were to get a smaller tattoo just to see how bad the pain was, then I would just be settling for a tattoo that I didn’t really love. It would be a test- a trial run purely done to determine my tolerance. But I didn’t want a small tattoo. I wanted what I got and I’m so happy I got it. I wasn’t happy I was getting it when I was getting it, but now I am. It’s now apart of me and according to Fella, it makes me x1,000 cooler (granted, he’s biased because he has 3 tats himself).

But I’d say this is the best damn tax return I have ever spent! Yay for being an adult!