In response to my earlier post, my good friend Chris sent me the following (and agreed to have it posted) – thanks Chris!
1964 � Born Lachine, Quebec. My family then promptly moved to Winnipeg for 4 years and we then returned to Pointe Claire in 1968 where I lived until 1985. I then lived in various places in NDG until moving to Ontario in 1989.
Perhaps it is a function of being male, but I think my perceptions revolve more around large institutional or peer-group transitions than �biological� maturity as you relate. I think I would actually break down the process into several stages which I would identify with building more and more independence, which perhaps is the critical element of �adulthood� for me.
Early adolescence � Moving from elementary school to John Rennie High School (at grade 7 when I was 12, like most Quebecers) was definitely the major early break. Not only was there coping with the new school, but also learning to cope (or not) with bullies and cope (or not) with my first big crush on a girl. As well, there was establishing a new set of friends (mostly for mutual protection from aforementioned bullies), which was complete by about grade 10 (when I was 15). When this group of friends became hopelessly addicted to dungeons and dragons, I transitioned to another set of friends who were more addicted to house parties and alcohol (let�s say grade 11).
Later adolescence – This was the process that was completed when I was around 18 with several different events that helped build my sense of independence. Starting at John Abbot was part of this process since it was definitely the first place I felt like I �fit in�. Another was working in Jasper Park Lodge the summer of 1982 which was both terrifying and enlightening. Besides the huge amounts of alcohol, I also learned that it was good to be on my own. The smell of Tide while I was doing my own laundry always brings this right back! In 2nd year CEGEP I became involved with the school paper (Bandersnatch), the student union and eventually a hanger-on to Narroway (and by extension Dr. X and Dr. T among others). This was cemented the summer of �83 when we were all gloriously unemployed and made �A Man Called Fergus� together among many other romantic adventures too tedious to repeat here.
Early adulthood � This period I would say ran roughly from the summer of 1984 when I had my first girlfriend, Genny (who now lives in Coburg and I correspond with regularly after many years of interruption) to 1989 when I moved to Ontario. Dr. T. knew me pretty well back then and he will no doubt roll his eyes at my behavior through this difficult time. I apologize for everything! Another major event was going to work in London, England the summer of �85, which, again, allowed me to really develop my sense of autonomy and independence.
What am I now? My divorce in 1996, remarriage and now having my own kids finally actually makes me feel at least somewhat adult, but it still doesn�t seem as �grown up� as my parents were back in the 60s. (I can still recall being four and my Dad coming home from work in a white shirt and tie and wearing a fedora.) I think our vision of the boundaries between childhood, adolescence and adulthood are much more blurred nowadays. My father, after all, was an air force mechanic working on WWII bombers when he was 17 and had two children before he was 25, so he didn�t have the luxury of wallowing around much when he was in his late teens and early 20s.
Hopefully some of this makes sense in the context of the questions you asked on your blog. Perhaps none of it makes any sense in any context.
Ciao,
Chris