One afternoon, Jacob was reading a manual with tips and hacks for his mining-crafting video game when the light bulb in the table lamp beside him flickered and went out.
“Mom! The light bulb burned out!” he yelled.
His mother was on the couch with a cup of tea and a book. She glanced up briefly. “Yes, they do that,” she commented.
After a few minutes Jacob called out, “Mom! Didn’t you hear me?”
“Yes, I heard you,” she said. “You said the lightbulb burned out.” She kept reading. Jacob squinted, trying to make out the small print in his manual, and then gave up. It was still dark.
“Mom, what the hey! I can hardly see over here!”
“That’s because the light bulb burned out, dear.”
“I know that! When are you going to put in a new one? I’ve been waiting!”
His mother put down her teacup and book. “Do you know where we keep light bulbs?”
“Sure, hall closet, top shelf.”
“Then, if you need a light bulb, I suggest you go get one and change it yourself. You’re an adult now. Adults who live together are called housemates, and a good housemate pulls their own weight. They don’t expect someone else to do these things for them.” She picked up her book, took a sip of tea, and began reading again.
Jacob was astonished. He’d never even thought about changing a light bulb, it was just something his parents had always done for him. Now he figured he’d better learn. How hard could it be, right? He went to the shelf and got a new one, then asked his mom if he should turn off the lamp first. She said yes. He carefully unscrewed the old bulb, screwed in the new one, and turned the lamp back on. It worked, and it was easier than he thought. Then he realized he was still holding the burned-out bulb. He asked his mom what to do with it and she told him to put it in the specialty glass recycling bin, so he did. As simple as that.
“That’s the way adult housemates handle problems,” his mother told him. “When something needs doing, they don’t wait for someone else to take care of it, they just get it done. And if you’re not sure how, ask. Even adults have to ask how to do things, but they don’t let that stop them, and neither did you.” Jacob was surprised at how proud he felt after doing what was, essentially, a small thing. But for him, it was a big step toward being an adult instead of a kid.