HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!

and HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY DAD!

I just got back from an Asian party at my dad's friend's house. They have one EVERY YEAR. GRAH. But thank baby Jesus that Gary was there. He's the son of one of the people that are always there and he plays guitar. He graduated from USC a long time ago (he's 27) and we always commiserate at these parties. So tonight we found a piano book of "Hits from the 90s" and I played while we sang together, which was nice. Haha he saw his childhood flash before his eyes. And then we broke out into "Hey Jude". :D And he makes awesome pastries. :)
So the Asian party wasn't as bad as it could have been.

But it made me think about what "adult" means. I looked at Gary as just another one of my friends, albeit a tad bit older, but no older than Andy in my mind--a kid. But, while we were talking about music, all of a sudden, he was like, "Wow. I think I'm exactly 10 years older than you."
When I think of 10 years older than me, I think of.. Steven Gerrard (but that's not the point). I think of a lot older, an adult, a responsible person with a job and maybe even a family, someone who I would make polite small talk with and smile and nod at, but not really connect with and not to mention laugh about my friends and sing Beatles music with.
But that wasn't the case with Gary, however old he is. I guess I don't feel old. I know I'm 17 and I know I'll be an "adult" in a few months and that I'm supposed to be able to handle life on my own and be independent and make my own decisions, but most of the time, I still feel like a little girl wearing a hand-me-down dress and no socks because my parents couldn't afford it (woe to the day where they decided I should wear socks.. with sandals) carrying her lunchpail to elementary school where Isaac and Roshi and Amanda and Adriana all were. I feel I'll be reprimanded by the teacher for breaking the rules and I have to ask someone before I do anything. I wonder when I won't feel that anymore. Age is nothing but a number really, because I don't feel whatever it is my age is supposed to entail. I don't feel grown up.