As a child, most kids dream of the day that they will be a teenager, then, eventually, an adult. We all know that it is coming, yet we still strive and long for those days. I am not alone in this. I can vividly remember sitting around with my friends as a pre teen clamoring for the days of high school. When it finally happened, we all could not wait until after college, when we would be adults and be "on our own". Sure, it all sounded neat and fun and great when I was 12, 13 and 14. But, the older I get, the more I realize that, it is not the candy and cake that I thought it was going to be as a pre teen.

It is nice to be an adult, don't get me wrong, but there is a ton of stuff that no one, not even your parents, can prepare you for. School definitely doesn't touch on the things that I will touch on today, but that is because school does not have the time to teach you everything. It is just the basics. Teachers in school do what they can, but honestly, they only get 9 months out of the year, and we all just go through the motions until summer break anyway.

This all comes about because of something I went through yesterday. I'm 34. I have made this widely known on the site and the podcast. I'm not young, but I'm not old either. I'm in that sweet spot. I'm an adult, but I still have my parents around, and I get to see them all the time since we live in the same city. I'm married, which is totally awesome, and I have 2 kids. I also own a home and pay bills. So, for all intents and purposes, I'm considered an adult. Well, part of being an adult is what happened yesterday.

I was doing laundry, part of my duties as a stay at home dad. I put the clothes in the wash, then took my 5 year old to preschool and had to run a few errands and do some catch up work for my coaching/instructing job. When I finished that stuff up, I had about 40 minutes before I needed to get my 5 year old, so I swung by my home to switch the clothes from the washer to the dryer. When I got into my house and headed to the laundry room, I noticed an odd, mildew smell. When I opened the washer, I had realized, A) that's where the smell was coming from, and B)something was wrong with my washer. I did the usual stuff. I turned it off and back on. Nothing. I unplugged and re plugged hoses. Nothing. I headed for the circuit breaker and reset everything in the basement and laundry room. Nothing. The washer was broken.

I was stuck. I'm not a handy man by any means necessary, but I knew that I needed to do something or else these clothes would get ruined. I remembered that we brought our washer and dryer from our first house to the new house, and thus the madness started. First off, I had to empty the clothes out from the washer, ring them as dry as possible, and place them in the dryer. Then, I had to take bucket after bucket full of nasty, mildew scented washer filled water outside to dump.

After doing that for about 25 minutes or so, I finally got the washer to the point of being light enough for me to drag outside, or so I thought. I started the process of dragging the washer, and it was heavy as hell. I could move it, but it was only a few inches here and there. I should also mention that our laundry room is tiny, so moving a washer out was already a built in problem. After a good 45 minutes, I finally got the washer out of the laundry room and into our lower level/basement. Then I had to drag it out to the garage. After another 15 minute struggle, I finally got it out and was able to dump out the rest of the water onto the ground. So, only an hour plus worth of work, and I was halfway done.

I was pissed.

Next came the part where I had to drag in the old washer. Now, when I say this washer is old, it is VERY old. I think it was built in a Czechoslovakian factory. The washer was used so much the paneling on the sides just flaps around. It still works, but it is on its very last legs. After dragging in this messed up washer, moving it 6 inches every step, I had to figure out all the hoses and drainage. The hoses were easy, except I didn't tighten them tight enough at first. I got the hoses on, then turned the water back on but it was spilling out of the sides of each one of them. I tightened them enough, so that problem was solved.

Unfortunately for me, that was only one of the many problems with the new, but very old washer. When I got the hoses properly attached and the washer plugged in, I quickly realized that the drainage hose was not long enough for where the water drains out of this laundry room because, why would it be that easy. So I was stuck again. Being the idiot that I am, I still ran some water and thought, maybe it won't matter.

It mattered.

Water splashed everywhere when the washer went through the spin cycle. So, I proceeded back outside and grabbed the drainage hose that I took off the now defunct washer. Then, it was a matter of clamping it so tight that no water would get out. The first 2 tries did not work. I thought I had it twice, I was wrong twice. Then, as if the saying third time is a charm wasn't real enough, it actually worked on the third time. I got the hose tight enough that no water spilled out, but I kept checking every 10 minutes to make sure.

So, for over 2 hours I finally figured this whole washer situation out. I was exhausted and frustrated, but also a bit excited because I fixed something on my own. I did it without the help of a handy man or handy woman.

But, after about 30 minutes that euphoria wore off, and then I was just frustrated again. I quickly realized that this old washer would not be the long term answer. I knew that my wife and I would have to get a new washer ASAP, and that I would be installing it once again. Washers aren't super expensive, like a furnace, but they aren't that cheap either. It is going to be a frustrating and long weekend. It is going to suck.

So yeah kids, when you sit and opine that you want to be older, read this story, or have your parents tell you a story of their own that is similar. It's not just having to buy and install a new washing machine either. Gas and buying new cars is expensive, frustrating and will grate on you. Car salesman, and I am painting a very broad brush, are sleazebags, for the most part. But, you also have home loans, student loans, all kinds of bills, be they electric, water, air conditioner/furnace, I could go on and on and on. Being an adult definitely has perks. I can see any movie I want, buy alcohol, even though I don't drink, rent a car, coach kids and, if I want an animal, I can go rescue or adopt one without needing permission from anyone. But, there are a lot of small headaches that can turn into a big problems the longer you put them off. It has its good and bad, but it is very frustrating at times. I love and adore my wife, kids, family and friends, but I hate bills, home problems and car troubles. All of that entails what being an adult is like, at least for me.

My advice? Stay young as long as you can. Being young and carefree is the best and it just flies by way too fast. Don't wish to grow up, just be young and enjoy the very little responsibilities you do and do not have. It's fleeting and fast. Have fun while you are young.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is being a big baby about this washing machine. All he needs to do is build a creek in his backyard and get a good washing stone. Problem solved. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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