Don't worry, I’m not going to make this a lament about being a year closer to the dreaded age of 30. In fact, I just read a forum posting by a girl who was about to turn 22 and was convinced that her life was over because she felt so old, and I really just wanted to reach through the computer screen and smack her “fresh-from-a-night-of-binge-drinking-at-the-frat house” face.
Give me a break.
Twenty-two is not old. Christ, when I was 22, I was still getting used to the fact that I had to work 5 days a week in order to feed, clothe, and house myself. But 27 isn’t old either. In fact, it’s quite young, and I’m happy to say that as I enter my 27th year, I’m finding the later twenties to be quite pleasant: At this age, I consider myself to be slightly less poor and less stupid than I was when I was 22. And that’s an accomplishment. For example, now that I'm (almost) 27, I know how to:
File for a marriage licence
File for divorce
File my tax return
Jumpstart a car
Replace a sump pump
Host a dinner party
Ask for a raise
Drink in moderation
Wake up at a reasonable hour, even on weekends
etc...
Hell, I didn’t know how to do ANY of that stuff when I was 22.
Granted, a few lessons had to be learned the hard way. For example, if you’re thinking “I wonder how THIS is gonna turn out” on the way to the wedding chapel, it’s probably not a good idea to get married (more than likely, it’ll turn out in a worst-case-scenario kind of way. Trust me on this one). But I really don’t (or at least try my hardest not to) regret a single bump in the road. At 27, I can say with confidence that I’m completely comfortable in my own skin. And in my mind, that kind of comfort was not given, but earned through a series of obstacles and challenges that left me flat on my face on more than one occasion. Hey, that’s life, right? Every time you can get up, dust yourself off, and make a mental note to not do that again, you’re one step closer to being wise…or, at least, less stupid.
So I propose a toast to 27! Here’s to a year where I’m slightly less stupid, slightly more wealthy, and a heck of a lot better at just being me. Cheers.
3 comments:
Yay for 27! I loved being 27, it was one of my greatest years! 28 was pretty good too, actually better! So you have lots to look forward to in the coming years!
Oh and those people who complain about being "old" they're always the young ones. My brother tries to tell me I'm old because I'm "almost thirty" but my response to him is always "So?" In fact, I have more of a life than he does!!!
Yeah, Brian is 30 and he seems to be doing pretty good - he even managed to score himself a hot younger girlfriend ;-)
Yay! A toast, a toast!
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