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The circle of life. You dart out of your mommy’s womb, get taught all types of sweet skills for 13 years, and can not WAIT to be 16, then 18, then 21, and then you have to live through the next 9 years dreading turning 30, while during that time, you face the realities of adulthood. And that, quite frankly, is what this post is about. The struggles of life after 21. There are so many things that become clearer to you as you progress through your twenties. Sure, a lot of this can relate to people of other ages, but the following points are from personal experience, and it just so happens that ‘The Office’ has the absolute best GIFs ever to help explain them. This post is dedicated to all the girls and boys out there who are 26-29, and like me, are subconsciously planning the funeral of their youth.
1. 18 Year Olds Make You Feel Old
Isn’t it crazy how a person can be 40 and another person is 35 and it doesn’t seem as a huge difference in age? But, when you are 23 and you are speaking to an 18-year-old, you think of yourself as an old fart who would never be invited to one of their parties? One day they will call you old and a single tear will fall down your cheek after you realize that all these new generations are going to start saying “Whoa, you were born in the 1900’s!!!” That’s right, they aren’t going to say you were born in the 90’s, they are literally going to say NINETEEN-HUNDREDS.
But wait, remember this: All those 18-year olds that make your twenties miserable will all be just as old and wrinkly as you in 2055 and eventually be in the same nursing home as you, so they better not get too comfortable. (Although all this is an obvious fact, it makes me feel better to remind myself of these sorta things HA).
Everybody will get old. Everybody will die. It is bittersweet in a smiley yet teary-eyed Michael kind of way:
2. Cleaning Products Start Getting You Excited
Ah, yes, 25 is right when it usually begins – you see a new scent of Lysol, you squeal inside, and almost pee a little as you excitedly place it in your cart. When you were 18 or even in your early 20’s, you probably swept things under the rug (literally), stuffed your clothes into your dresser drawers, and let your laundry pile up until you ran out of clean clothes. But now, oh how much that has changed. Now, you actually “make plans” to dedicate your entire day to cleaning. You now realize why your mom placed such a high importance on it. You now understand the feeling of walking into a fresh-smelling room, actually seeing the color of your carpet, having the dishwasher be empty and the porcelain throne being clean enough to eat off of. (It’s a figure of speech, so please don’t use your toilet seat as a plate, no matter how clean it is, K?)
3. Going to Bed Early = Gift from God
Oh yes. It is 7:30 PM and you are in your PJ’s, feeling giddy as ever as you set yourself down before the sun does. Staying up late on a school night? I mean, work night? Ain’t nobody got time for that anymore. Sleep > Social Life.
4. Gift-Wrapped Socks Make You Smile
Socks for Christmas? Birthday? Hell, Valentine’s Day? Yes, Please. (Okay, so, just to note, if my future boyfriend(s) end up reading this one day, please don’t get me socks for Valentine’s Day unless it they are embedded with diamonds. Wow, I really just said that…) Anyways, All I know is that my mom down in Texas sends me boxes of stuff sometimes, and some of those boxes are full of clean, matching, comfy SOCKS. I would have probably cried if I was expected a package/gift at 18-21 and got socks, but now…it is heavenly, they are like little clouds for your feet. (And, I just said something uber dorky…but it’s true!)
Jim agrees:
5. Dating Becomes a Form Of Torture
Dating is the highlight of your life in your late teens and early twenties, but after your mid-twenties, it becomes a dreadful event. If you’re still single at 28, you kind of start freaking out about if you will be alone forever, but at the same time, you are sick and tired of the dating game. How many times do you have to ask someone what they like to do for fun until you find “the one”? All I know is, when I was 18-21, I enjoyed dating, it was fun, exciting and was something to do – but now? HA. It’s a risky little love game that usually ends in a broken heart. (Sadly, a broken heart will always be a possibility at any age. How depressing.) This post is actually starting to get depressing, Right? Don’t worry, I am a little bitter when it comes to this one! Time to go cat shopping!
6. You Compare Yourself to the Younger Version of Your Parents
You’re now getting to the age where you can probably remember what your mom was like when she was your age. Let’s say you are about to turn 30, but your mom was 30 when you were 10. You have memories from that time, so it is kind of scary to think about. Like….you can no longer ask “Mom, when you were my age, did you ever….”, because, well, you will have been around to know for yourself. O-M-G, right?
7. You Don’t Feel Like You Can Relate to Those in their 30’s
As you are approaching the day you say goodbye to your 20’s, you probably often think to yourself: “Will I fit in?”, “I still feel 21 inside”, or “I have nothing in common with these people!” I mean, when you turned 20, you were excited to join the 20-somethings club, but no one wants to turn 30. Hopefully we will all make it there though, to be able to tell the tale of how we survived crossing over to the other side. Am I being dramatic? I just might be acting MICHAEL SCOTT level dramatic:
8. Not Getting ID’d Literally Makes you Cry
When you hit thirty it will only get worse. Shout out to those who still ID me at 28!!! LOVE YOU!!!! nuff said.
That last one is probably the hardest of them all, am I right?! All I wanted was a cold one, and you have to stand there and ASSUME I am over 21? It’s tragic. Maybe this post is evidence that I still have some of that immature teenage blood running through my veins – because there are bigger problems in the world than turning 30…..right? I’m kidding, I am kidding!
Cheer up and giggle with Kevin
