Hey--out of my own curiosity... What does maturity and being "grown up" represent to you guys?

Because, at least for me, it's not what I expected. It wasn't school. It wasn't the rigors of higher degrees. It wasn't marriage as much as I thought it was. And it wasn't even fatherhood. (Still can't figure that one out.) These latter two things are of my own choice and my own doing. Thus, I got what I bought into--thus it feels as if it's of lesser effect

For me--it's when I face a problem... Or rather, when a problem faces me. My choices or behavior didn't bring create the situation. The situation finds me because I'm the go-to-guy relative to it's solution or management. It's my position or station in life. I can't really describe it to my satisfaction--but it's the result of my inability to conceal my life successes. And these life successes result in more responsibility, hence it feels like true life maturity.

Yeah--not so sure I like it. There's a certain freedom to being a rank-and-file grunt with a finite list of responsibilities...

Curious if this experience is similar to that of you guys...