This year will mark my 25th birthday, which means I will be officially old enough to say things like "back in the day". Now I will suffer the blank stares from youth looking at me when I become nostalgic over memories of Mr. Dressup, A Diff'rent World, Ghost Writer, and Boy Meets World, and be mocked for being 'ol school.
Growing up in boring suburbia, I had envisioned my 20s to be an exciting time. Like most people, not just 20-year-olds, I figured I would be working in an industry that really showed off my best character traits that catered to or provided a means for my thirst for adventure, and earn enough for retirement. But sadly, that isn't the case. The dynamics of today's world have changed sooo dramatically that it rarely matters if you are highly educated or not; most entry level jobs within any given industry are so menial that anyone with a high school diploma can do it, yet they still require a post-secondary education. Making good money in today's world is, well, really a waiting game... and luck. To ask for that pay raise, or go full-time, or even step into a higher level of management you got to ask when sales are doing well (so forget about asking during January or February), keep track of who in the company whose position you want - or can at least do just as well - who is fucking up (i.e. taking long lunches, abandoning their shifts, needing time off too often etc.) as these are all scenarios where you can come in and kiss a lot of ass, er, show off your level of commitment - though, you too have been half-assing your whole tenure the entire time - and put forth a basic case to move up on the rat-bitten financial ladder.
That's right, everyone! We live in a world where the idea of living peacefully with others is a concept that is often laughed at and reduced to personal associations with the "hippie" sub-culture rather than a logical step toward a more civil society. It's not enough to simply aspire to have a career, you got to be cut-troat about getting it. Only those who lie and cheat prosper, and those who don't... get exploited but still have their integrity. Which side are you on???
Hardly a week goes by without me feeling restless about my life. I am nowhere near this dream of being a career women that past generations seemed to so easily slide into by my age. Complete with a marriage, a kid, a pet and a dental plan. And, yet, sometimes I find myself thinking why these milestones matter. Are they my own desires or ones that are pressed upon me by society. Could my life be just as fulfilling without marriage, kids, pets or dental plans, or is that just an excuse for complacency?
I am not ashamed to want these things, no matter how imposed these ideals are, but I want to achieve this standard of living with integrity, compassion, and sound work ethic. I want to live a life where all my creative and philosophical energies are continuously put towards making this world more peaceful, more modern... more civilized. If I achieve nothing else in this brief moment in time I call life, then I can finish the mile without the stones.
What do you think? Is expecting certain things to happen in your life because of your age an outdated concept? Or are they just as relevant today as they were 60 years ago?
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