The best-selling author of Forever Fifty presents a humorous guide to growing up, offering tongue-in-cheek advice on how to cope with the joys and anxieties of leaving home and trying to make one's own way in the world. 125,000 first printing.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Judith Viorst was born and brought up in New Jersey, graduated from Rutgers University, moved to Greenwich Village, and has lived in Washington, D.C., since 1960, when she married Milton Viorst, a political writer. They have three sons and seven grandchildren. Viorst writes in many different areas: science books, children's picture books, adult fiction and non-fiction, poetry for children and adults, and three musicals, which are still performed on stages around the country. She is best known for her beloved picture book, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.
You're Officially A Grown-Up
You're going.
You're leaving.
You're out on your own.
If your buttons fall off
And you must have them sewn,
You must sew them yourself.
You're officially a grown-up. You'll balance your checkbook,
Remember to vote.
You will write your Aunt Frances
A prompt thank-you note,
And take out the garbage
And sweep up inside --
Or not. From now on
It is you who'll decide
What you will and won't do.
You're officially a grown-up,
Which means you can sleep
On the same grubby sheet
From September to June,
Eat whatever you eat
Without someone saying,
"You call that a meal?"
(Or, if you don't eat,
Asking, "How do you feel?"
As if you are catching
Some fatal disease).
You can do as you please.
You're officially a grown-up.
You can do as you please, but please keep in mind
That if you don't water your daisies you'll find
That you're likely to wind up with a lot of dead flowers.
You can do as you please, but please be aware
That people who don't change their underwear
May be lonelier people than those who take regular showers.
You can stay up all night.
You can snooze the whole day
As long as you've figured out
How you will pay
For the stuff that you need.
You're officially a grown-up.
You can hang by your toe
Off a ninety-foot drop,
Because nobody's standing there
Hollering, "Stop!"
And you needn't show up,
And you needn't call in,
Because nobody's wondering
Where you have been.
(Don't they care where you've been?)
You're officially a grown-up, Which means you should have
All the answers. (You won't.)
And always know what
You are doing. (You don't.)
And never behave like
A wimp or an ass.
(You will, but the shame
Does eventually pass.)
Are you worried? Confused?
You're officially a grown-up.
And you're going.
You're leaving...
Or maybe you'll stay
One more week, one more month,
Or perhaps till next May.
What's the rush? Just because
You're officially a grown-up?
Yes, what is the rush?
You've got room, you've got board,
And no charge for the phone,
And the keys to the Ford,
A deck you can tan on,
A big-screen TV,
And that soft teddy bear
You have owned since age three.
(But you aren't age three.
You're officially a grown-up),
Which means that although
It is scary outside,
You're ready to muster
Your courage and pride,
To hold up your head,
Boldly stick out your chin,
And -- fall fiat on your face
And come up with a grin,
Determined and dauntless
(And shaky, you say?
You'll move on, anyway).
You're officially a grown-up.
And no matter how shrewdly your plans are made,
It sometimes will rain on your parade,
And you'll have to slog through the rain,
Though you hadn't planned to.
And adorable creature though you may be,
You won't be everyone's cup of tea,
For not everyone you meet is going to
Love you,
Or like you,
Or want to understand you.
Still, you're going.
You're leaving.
You're ready to take
On your future.
This could be a major mistake.
So you'll make a mistake.
You're officially a grown-up.
You'll try on this hat.
And you'll try on that role.
And you'll learn what you can
And can never control.
You'll bail yourself out
If you get in a jam.
You'll, when asked who's in charge
Of your life, say, "I am."
And you are. Yes, you are.
You're officially a grown-up,
Which means you can still
Call for help when you're stuck.
You can count on good friends.
You can hope for good luck.
And you might cross your fingers.
You might say a prayer.
But it's you -- mostly you --
Who will get yourself where
You'll, sooner or later, decide
That you're trying to get. Will you get there? You bet!
You're officially a grown-up.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
FREE shipping within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speedsSeller: ThriftBooks-Dallas, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 0.46. Seller Inventory # G0684853426I4N00
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: As New. No Jacket. Pages are clean and are not marred by notes or folds of any kind. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 0.46. Seller Inventory # G0684853426I2N00
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. Missing dust jacket; May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 0.46. Seller Inventory # G0684853426I4N01
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: ThriftBooks-Reno, Reno, NV, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 0.46. Seller Inventory # G0684853426I4N00
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: ThriftBooks-Dallas, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. Missing dust jacket; May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 0.46. Seller Inventory # G0684853426I4N01
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 0.46. Seller Inventory # G0684853426I4N00
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: SecondSale, Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. Item in good condition. Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00040796475
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Goodwill Books, Hillsboro, OR, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. Signs of wear and consistent use. Seller Inventory # 3IIT4Q004FVS_ns
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Seller Inventory # 8997173-6
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Library House Internet Sales, Grand Rapids, OH, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Good. A humorous guide to growing up offers advice on coping with the joys and anxieties of leaving home and trying to make one's own way in the world Book has a musty odor Ex-Libris and is stamped as such. The price has been clipped from the jacket. Solid binding. Please note the image in this listing is a stock photo and may not match the covers of the actual item. Book. Seller Inventory # 123608939
Quantity: 1 available