So is this my quarter-life crisis?
Well happy birthday to me! I turned 27 years old on October the 14th. I hadn't planned on celebrating the "event". Heck, I even scheduled myself to work. But, as it turns out, I couldn't help myself and still ended up calling a few friends out for a drink. This quiet drink plan turned into dancing with cougars at the Velvet Room, but I digress.
It was only a few weeks ago that I heard the term "quarter-life crisis" for the first time. This was also followed by someone telling me "and what you're feeling is completely normal." Uh-huh.
Anywho, according to Wikipedia (who doesn't love the internet!), "The quarter-life crisis is a term, coined in 2001 by Abby Wilner and Alexandra Robbins, authors of Quarterlife Crisis: The Unique Challenges of Life in Your Twenties, and is applied to the period of life immediately following the major changes of adolescence, usually ranging from the ages of 21 - 29. The term is named by analogy with mid-life crisis."
Some of you, who could be in the same boat as me, might be interested in the following:
"Characteristics of this crisis are:
* feeling "not good enough" because one can't find a job that is at his/her academic/intellectual level
* frustration with relationships, the working world, and finding a suitable job or carreer
* confusion of identity
* insecurity regarding the near future
* insecurity regarding present accomplishments
* re-evaluation of close interpersonal relationships
* disappointment with one's job
* nostalgia for university or college life
* tendency to hold stronger opinions
* boredom with social interactions
* financially-rooted stress
* loneliness
* desire to have children
* utter lack of goals and constant whining"
Um, aren't these characteristics of adult life in general?
These are starting to sound like horoscope predictions... just vague enough and just precise enough to fit the bill for everyone!
And sure these look great on paper (or screen!) but what the hell am I supposed to do about them?
I do have a strong desire to have children soon...
And I am seemingly more and more pigheaded and opinionated...
And I do have certain frustrations with my career...
But, wait, I definetely do not have an utter lack of goals...
Oh, but I have been constantly whining.
Whatever!
I've been a whinger all my life... why should I expect that to change now?
And what am I complaining about... Stewart's going to turn 30 on October 30th. He's probably going to do enough complaining for the two of us.
It was only a few weeks ago that I heard the term "quarter-life crisis" for the first time. This was also followed by someone telling me "and what you're feeling is completely normal." Uh-huh.
Anywho, according to Wikipedia (who doesn't love the internet!), "The quarter-life crisis is a term, coined in 2001 by Abby Wilner and Alexandra Robbins, authors of Quarterlife Crisis: The Unique Challenges of Life in Your Twenties, and is applied to the period of life immediately following the major changes of adolescence, usually ranging from the ages of 21 - 29. The term is named by analogy with mid-life crisis."
Some of you, who could be in the same boat as me, might be interested in the following:
"Characteristics of this crisis are:
* feeling "not good enough" because one can't find a job that is at his/her academic/intellectual level
* frustration with relationships, the working world, and finding a suitable job or carreer
* confusion of identity
* insecurity regarding the near future
* insecurity regarding present accomplishments
* re-evaluation of close interpersonal relationships
* disappointment with one's job
* nostalgia for university or college life
* tendency to hold stronger opinions
* boredom with social interactions
* financially-rooted stress
* loneliness
* desire to have children
* utter lack of goals and constant whining"
Um, aren't these characteristics of adult life in general?
These are starting to sound like horoscope predictions... just vague enough and just precise enough to fit the bill for everyone!
And sure these look great on paper (or screen!) but what the hell am I supposed to do about them?
I do have a strong desire to have children soon...
And I am seemingly more and more pigheaded and opinionated...
And I do have certain frustrations with my career...
But, wait, I definetely do not have an utter lack of goals...
Oh, but I have been constantly whining.
Whatever!
I've been a whinger all my life... why should I expect that to change now?
And what am I complaining about... Stewart's going to turn 30 on October 30th. He's probably going to do enough complaining for the two of us.
Labels: Random
posted by Natalie Joy @ 10/15/2006 02:08:00 AM
1 Comments:
At 12:27 AM,
Anonymous said…
Hi Natalie;
I was just about to write something about the arbitrary nature of these age-based 'crises' (as you pointed out), abou how some people are perpetually in crisis, some are never, and most of us sit in between somewhere: good days, bad days, in-between days... then my three year old son woke up crying. It's just past midnight now. My wife went to see what was up, and when I got to the hall, she was ushering him at speed to the loo, where he threw up just as he got there.
After some tears, some comforting, some gravol, and about 7 minutes recuperation, he just stood up and said "Ok papa, I'm all better, that's over now." and toddled back to his bed as if he'd just been up to pee or something.
I guess he was having his quarter-decade crisis. I think we'd all be well served to follow his example when dealing with ours: a few tears, some hugs, maybe some drugs (!?), a little time, then get up and get on with things with a jaunty "glad that's over now."
I just gotta find spiderman PJ's in my size. I'd be ready for anything then...
"no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should"
take care,
Eric Schmidt
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