The Things a Woman Learns By the Time She Turns 25
Today, I know the meaning of quarter-life-crisis. I have the jitters and the mind numb feeling of the life-not-what-I-expected. I am 25 today and yet I have not accomplished all that I had planned for. I feel like I have been stuck in passivity since forever and my life doesn’t seem to have grown when compared to my colleagues. I am a graduate, still studying and no career to boast of. I am still lost and unaware of my true passion that everyone said I would recognize by this time of my life. All this is too overwhelming and I must sit down and relax and think over what this threshold means to me. I must have learned something, there must be something new or is life a depressing mess? After hours of brain storming and flashbacks, this is what I came up with:
1. You still live with your parents and have time restrictions.
2. Your neighbors feel offended when you address them as aunty or uncle because technically you’re am almost THERE!
3. Every other friend or acquaintance seems to be getting married or having babies! And you don’t even have a boyfriend!
4. Mirrors seem to highlight every wrinkle or flaw on your body.
5. No matter how much you exercise or plan diets, your weight keeps increasing.
6. Love seems impossible to come by and flings are no more exciting.
7. You can no more say, “When I grow up I will…”
8. All perfect guys are committed or married.
9. Your parents seem to be always hinting at you to settle down.
10. Becoming the youngest CEO of the company is now a fantasy.
Beside all these negatives, there are some things which I learnt too:
1. What others think about you hardly matters!
2. Mini skirts and too much makeup suddenly are repugnant.
3. You seem to accept criticism and use it for self improvement.
4. You accept that people enter/leave your life and it is completely normal.
5. You don’t beat your siblings any more (ok! Sometimes you do!)
6. Your parents, all of a sudden seem full of wise words.
7. You are all business and contacts are important howsoever loathsome might they be.
8. You don’t feel crazy buying flowers and gifts for yourself.
9. Facebook/ twitter/ whatsapp are no longer a 24*7 activity.
10. You kind of accept your body and start loving it.
Yet,
1. You love eating: especially chocolates.
2. You love chic flicks but no more the teenage/high school ones.
3. Suddenly, you are all for deep music rather than punk/rock.
4. You still wink at your best friend, when you see a hot guy.
5. You still have crushes but no guts to confront them.
6. Risky activities still haven’t lost their appeal, though you are more cautious.
7. Late night parties with friends are still as fun as they used to be.
8. Babies are cute, however they still annoy you.
9. You are still a child at heart.
10. You have three more quarters to have fun!
After writing all this, and now that my coffee-with-ice cream is over, I don’t think 25 is that bad or in fact it is not even a moment of crisis. Yes, there are negatives but my life is still upbeat! And, now that I can think, form my own concepts, have my own beliefs; I believe that I can choose to be whatever age I want, be it 20 or 25 because I don’t care what people think, I’ll have as many candles on my cake as I want it to be.
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About the Author: This article is contributed by our intern, Utpala. Utpala finished her English Honours and is doing her Masters in English from Delhi University. She writes because she believes that written words never die and pen is mightier than sword. She has joined hands with Respect Women to speak out the thoughts she has during the vacuum hours of her days.
