Did you hear? Linens n’ Things is going out of business. Hearing this good news, I decided to stop by on the way home from work to see if anything truly wonderful would be on sale. I got lucky. I’d been wanting some pillow shams and trouser hangers. Both items were deeply discounted! I drove home high on my good luck, but a worrisome thought was nagging at me. Economizing, I’d bought only one set of hangers, or twelve individual hangers. But did I have just twelve pairs of trousers? Once home I realized my mistake (I had thirteen! Can you believe it?) and resolved to stop by Linens n’ Things the next day.

Naturally, the subject came up at working as three turned to four and five was just around the corner. I popped my head over the cubicle wall and said, “Did you hear about Linens n’ Things? They’re going out of business!” “Anything good on sale?” she asked. I told her about the pillow shams and trouser hangers.

She shared my enthusiasm, especially since her son would be leaving for college in a couple weeks—but, with a wink, she said, “That’s how you know you’re getting old. You get excited about hangers.”

She was right, of course. But I thought it was especially funny because I’m always writing about moments that make me realize that, like it or not, I’m becoming a real adult.

Oh, and something else happened, too…. My boyfriend and I decided to get married. Damn it if being engaged isn’t another thing that’ll make you feel grown-up.

But more on that later…