When Growing Up Goes Awry

My mom recently asked me why I don't want to change the name of my blog.

"It's too specific," she said. "You're only appealing to knitters and not to everyone else. You write about a lot of really funny things."

She's technically right. I don't just write about knitting (even though it is the most used tag on my blog). I write about soup, or flash games, or any number of other things. But that's the thing: Knitting has become part of me. I don't just knit, knitting is part of my personality. It's helped make me me.

The thing about growing up is that when you're in school there's a certain way you're supposed to be so you try to be it and the vast majority of us fail and think "Wow. Everyone else can do this but I can't. I must really suck!" We fail to realize that most of us feel that way, but we're not allowed to tell anyone. We have to pretend that we're actually getting it and running with the pack and it's all because we're just so cool like that!

Really, there are some of us who simply weren't cool. I mean, I was really into reading, and I really had a thing for trying to understand quantum theory (don't ask). In high school, quantum theory is one of those things you just don't tell people you're into. My sense of style verged on the... um... conservative. To say the least. I really liked button down, collared shirts and cardigans. I still do.

In high school, you really have to try hard to fit in. Yes, there were those "counterculture" people who tried really hard to be different together in exactly the same way, but still.

The thing about growing up is that it can be easy to forget that no one cares as much about that anymore. Guess what - there are whole sections of department stores devoted to women's button down, collared shirts and pretty cardigans. If I want to wear corduroy, I can. If I want to have a deep affinity for tweed and think about trying to understand quantum theory, I can.

Even better, being a grownup means I can keep writing a blog about knitting because I am knitting, and I am someone with a mildly sentient stash and growing up has gone a little in the awry department.

I am my blog's title. I am growing up, and I will still be growing up in 10 or 20 years from now. We're all growing up that way.

And I thank you for taking the journey with me.