Coming of age. What a seemingly grand and perfect ideal. It just screams romance, and I don't mean in the lovey way... I mean in the grand and perfect way. I mean in the "of course it's grand and perfect, I'm coming of age" way. In fact, this is my new mantra as I am counting down the days. I'm not actually the "mantra chanting" sort of girl, never have been... but perhaps it is something that you take up when you "come of age". (aside: I read that someone out there is keeping a blog on inappropriate quote use and I am willing to do my part to help in any way that I can)
I will turn 25 in just under 5 days. I will be settled smack dab in my twenties. In just under 6 days, I will encounter my first akward and unsteady steps on the other side of the "Roaring, Raging Twenties" mountain. I will be this much closer to turning 30. THIRTY.
My best friend from high school, who incidentally is all hopped up on ephoric baby vibes, as she is 8 months along with her "first", turned 25 last week, and therefore has become my impromptu "coming of age mentor". Once you start chanting mantras, you must have a mentor. It's an unspoken rule.
"It's called a quarter life crisis." She says.
"Really? There's a name for it? That's depressing."
"Well, you know... it's like what college graduates go through when they are newly released into the real world."
"I graduated like 4 years ago."
"Yeah, well, that's what it is, anyway."
Quarter life crisis. As in the hipper, junior version of the midlife crisis. As in, we, the Sociology Majors of America, have decided to create yet another label to scar society, this time taking aim at our young adults... listen, kids, you've made it through the prebubecent whoas and adolecent turmoils, but before we can allow you completely out into the wild... we have just one more little challenge...
You will second guess your career, the career that you began only a few short and promising years ago. You will go to concerts and complain the music is too loud and listen to NPR radio and your way home from work. You will become addicted to caffine, try to quit, and take it up again to avoid the withdrawl. Your body will get soft and mushy, and not in a good way. You will dress in old faded alumni sweatshirts and faded jeans on the weekend and ann taylor loft on the weekdays. You will live for Friday, not Thursday. You will attend graduations, bachelorette parties, baby showers, and baptisms all in the same weekend. You will reverse rolls with your parents on a regular basis and people will stop telling you that you are too young for things. And that will make you sad, which is unexpected. Worst yet, you won't be able to ride roller coasters anymore.
And when you have sucessfully made it through this trechorous era of your life, your reward? Turning 30. Awesome.
6 comments:
Erin,
You are too funny! Turning 25 wasn't bad at all!! I did 23 days ago and didn't go through any of that. Look at your life...it's wonderful! You have achieved so many things. You are married, you're healthy, you have two awesome dogs, a home, a job and good friends and family. What more could you want out of life right now. You need to join my friends and I who are looking forward to turning 30...we have planned vacations! When ever anyone of us turn 30 we choose some crazy destination and go. So far my 23 days of being 25 are no different than being 24! Embrace it!
Katie H.
Erin,
You put a new twist on 25!
Try 50, I just embraced this wonderful age and it is going to be FUN!
Mom Helms
I'm already past the 25 1/2 mark, and it's not so bad, when I don't think about it. I think John Mayer says it really well about his "quarter life crisis"-
Am I living it right?
Keep writing, you're wonderful.
Rae
Erin,
I think you hit 25 on the head! Have you ever read a book by Linda Howard called Drop Dead Gorgeous? I read it a few months back and it has a funny character who I thought I was going to hate and ended up loving.
Any upcoming writings about being too nice?
-Katie F.
Someone told me that there is already a book out about the Quarterlife crisis and that I should read it. (Incidentally, it is not "Twentysomething--the Quarterlife Crisis of Jack Lancaster", because I found that at the library and it's only a mediocre British novel. At least, I hope that's not the best book out there on the topic...) And I can still ride roller coasters, but maybe that's because I still have a few more months until the big 2-5.
Happy birthday anyway!
--Scott A
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