Jun 18, 2011

Being Twenty-Something (They call it the Quarter-Life Crisis)


It is when you stop going along with the crowd and start realizing that
there are many things about yourself that you didn't know and may not
like.

You start feeling insecure and wonder where you will be in a year or
two, but then get scared because you barely know where you are now.

You start realizing that people are selfish and that, maybe, those
friends that you thought you were so close to aren't exactly the
greatest people you have ever met, and the people you have lost touch
with are some of the most important ones.

What you don't recognize is that they are realizing that too, and aren't
really cold, catty, mean or insincere, but that they are as confused as
you.

You look at your job ... and it is not even close to what you thought
you would be doing, or maybe you are looking for a job and realizing
that you are going to have to start at the bottom and that scares you.

Your opinions have gotten stronger.

You see what others are doing and find yourself judging more than usual
because suddenly you realize that you have certain boundaries in your
life and are constantly adding things to your list of what is acceptable
and what isn't. One minute, you are insecure and then the next, secure.

You laugh and cry with the greatest force of your life. You feel alone
and scared and confused.

Suddenly, change is the enemy and you try and cling on to the past with
dear life, but soon realize that the past is drifting further and
further away, and there is nothing to do but stay where you are or move
forward.

You get your heart broken and wonder how someone you loved could do such
damage to you. Or you lie in bed and wonder why you can't meet anyone
decent enough that you want to get to know better.

Or maybe you love someone but they love someone else too and cannot
figure out why you are doing this because you know that you aren't a bad
person.  One night stands and random hook ups start to look cheap.

Getting wasted and acting like an idiot doesn't seem as fun.

You go through the same emotions and questions over and over, and talk
with your friends about the same topics because you cannot seem to make
a decision.

You worry about loans, money, the future and making a life for
yourself...
and while winning the race would be great, right now you'd just like to
be a contender!

What you may not realize is that everyone reading this relates to it.

We are in our best of times and our worst of times, trying as hard as we
can to figure this whole thing out.

Pass this to your twenty-something friends... maybe it will help someone
feel like they aren't alone in their state of confusion...

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the
moments that take our breath away."

It's really amazing when two strangers become the best of friends, but
it is really sad when the best of friends become two strangers.

Love from another twenty-something!!

1 comment:

Raj said...

seriously. a quarter life crisis. if only i could have changed the one thing, the one thing. maybe things would have been clearer.