>ON 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 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 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.
>
>Send this to your twenty-something friends...maybe it will help
>someone feel like they aren't alone in their state of confusion.
>
>May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to
>make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, enough hope to
>make you happy.