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 lay 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 love someone else too and cannot
figure out why you are doing this because you know that you aren't a bad person.
One nightstands and random hook ups start to look cheap. Getting
wasted and acting like an idiot starts to look pathetic. 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.
