On Growing Up, Part II
These are the days for putting thousands of miles on our cars.
These are the days we live out of suitcases.
These are the days for reading books by the pool, and spending our weekends dancing.
These are the days for spending money on travel, for taking roadtrips when we want.
These are the days for sleeping under the stars.
These are the days for being a little reckless.
If we are ever going to be poor, it should be now.
If we are ever going to check off the bucket list, why not now?
These are the days for calling it all "adventure."
These are the days for getting lost on purpose, for memorizing all the lyrics, for failing some tests, for running out of gas.
These are the days to be young.
"Youth is wasted on the young," but I would add, "the young who are trying to be old." Who told us we had to act 45 after college graduation? Why are we so anxious to get "a real job," a 401k, a spouse, a white picket fence? There is so much angst in my generation about money. And security. And marriage - don't get me started about marriage. There is so much turmoil over what it means to grow up, to be adults, to really and finally arrive. And maybe every generation is like that, but it's a shame. Because we will probably look back and wonder what we actually did in our 20s. Besides worry about our 30s.
Growing up is about separating ourselves from the places and people that grew us. But it is not overnight. And I think it means we should give some grace to ourselves and to the old places, when the transition isn't pretty. Home will not be the same when we go back. We will not be the same. We might feel caught between college and a midlife crisis, but the truth is we are growing into more whole, deep, storied people. The truth is we are in the best years of our lives and we're exactly where we're supposed to be.
What are we actually doing in our 20s? Growing up and being young. Both. It's good and right. So let's make some memories and tell some stories. Let's be fully young and fully free and love ourselves well. Here's to the process, and to forgetting the destination. These are the days for calling it all "adventure."
These are the days we live out of suitcases.
These are the days for reading books by the pool, and spending our weekends dancing.
These are the days for spending money on travel, for taking roadtrips when we want.
These are the days for sleeping under the stars.
These are the days for being a little reckless.
If we are ever going to be poor, it should be now.
If we are ever going to check off the bucket list, why not now?
These are the days for calling it all "adventure."
These are the days for getting lost on purpose, for memorizing all the lyrics, for failing some tests, for running out of gas.
These are the days to be young.
"Youth is wasted on the young," but I would add, "the young who are trying to be old." Who told us we had to act 45 after college graduation? Why are we so anxious to get "a real job," a 401k, a spouse, a white picket fence? There is so much angst in my generation about money. And security. And marriage - don't get me started about marriage. There is so much turmoil over what it means to grow up, to be adults, to really and finally arrive. And maybe every generation is like that, but it's a shame. Because we will probably look back and wonder what we actually did in our 20s. Besides worry about our 30s.
Growing up is about separating ourselves from the places and people that grew us. But it is not overnight. And I think it means we should give some grace to ourselves and to the old places, when the transition isn't pretty. Home will not be the same when we go back. We will not be the same. We might feel caught between college and a midlife crisis, but the truth is we are growing into more whole, deep, storied people. The truth is we are in the best years of our lives and we're exactly where we're supposed to be.
What are we actually doing in our 20s? Growing up and being young. Both. It's good and right. So let's make some memories and tell some stories. Let's be fully young and fully free and love ourselves well. Here's to the process, and to forgetting the destination. These are the days for calling it all "adventure."
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