One of Them Days

It's easy to feel uncertain about being your 20s. For most of us, it's our first real step out of childhood, the time when we become responsible for ourselves and our wellbeing. Sometimes, we even become responsible for the lives of others, whether it's by choice or otherwise. Sure, maybe ten years down the road, we'll all look back on our 20s, thinking about how carefree and young and beautiful we were, how we had it so easy, how we didn't know how tedious life gets, etc.

Hindsight is, as they say, 20/20- it's perfectly easy and completely ignorant to say that life was easier in the past, because with every phase of our lives that passes, the contexts of our troubles and issues changes dramatically. From exams to finding a job, from rent to paying a mortgage, from trying to get sleep while your newborn wakes up at midnight to trying to save enough money for your child's university expenses, it all changes. That does not, however, diminish the importance of each issue.

That's why, when we look back on our past selves and think, 'man, the living was fun,' maybe it was. Maybe it wasn't. It's easier to remember the times that brought us joy and purpose rather than the times we were excessively stressed; it's also easier to look back on stressful times, like pulling all-nighters for exams or sequestering oneself in order to study, and feel nostalgic; it's a simplicity of purpose, and in ambiguous times, simplicity is precisely that for which we yearn. Knowing that one's ultimate goal is acing a class is clear; finding oneself unemployed and without many job options leaves one wishing for something simpler, because anything is better than uncertainty.

Unfortunately, it's easier than ever to become frazzled in your 20s. Facebook lets us keep track of our peers, and even if we haven't spoken to them since high school, we still get to keep track of their life's progress, and implicitly, we compare it to our own. Imagine that you see that your ex-girlfriend got a great job at a large bank, whereas you're still working part-time scanning food at the A&P and trying to find something elsewhere full-time with a decent starting salary and healthcare; how would you feel? Jealous? It's OK to admit it- we all look at those who are doing better in similar situations and wish we could be them.

It's not uncommon to hear people say that 'everything will work out,' even when, to you, it seems like nothing will. And honestly, it's better not to listen to them, because it's hard to tell if everything will work out, which is why you have to make it work out. No magical panacea is going to get dropped into your lap. If you're not actively trying to change things, then nothing ever will change, no matter how long you wait.

That's all for now, 
Das Flüg

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