Into the Unknown: The Quarter Life Crisis

Almost everyone I know is stuck in that part of life where they’re happily bobbing along in their early twenties and then realise that 25 is just around the corner. FIVE YEARS UNTIL 30. Eurgh. Anyway, the mid-twenties crisis has popped up on my Facebook news feed a lot recently. “10 ways to get out of your quarter-life crisis”, “12 signs you’re suffering from a quarter life crisis.”  I mean, really?

Now, as an optimist I’ve tried to not fall into this trap. I’m 24, I do not need a crisis at this age, thank you very much. It’s also something I’ve never heard of before – it seems like something the media has made up to make the recession-grads feel slightly better about their jilted careers and constantly living £9 from the bottom of their overdraft.

I mean, I get it. I am always broke and I do still spend the majority of my salary on partying hard and eating out and doing silly things. I’ve suddenly gone from an ‘I’m never having kids’ person to an ‘I’d like to have kids someday’ person and yes, I do frequently think about jacking it all in and getting on that plane to South America and never returning. I definitely do not have my shit together and feel like I probably never will. Just like everybody else.

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But I must say this with the utmost sincerity: this does not a crisis make.

I’ve always been under the impression that your 20s are your selfish years – for doing the above. For making bad choices, spending time with your besties and for creating memories that you’ll still be laughing about in your 80s. There’s plenty of time to grow up, be sensible with your money and to stay in on a Saturday night. There’s not plenty of time to enjoy the years when your body can handle the amount of silliness that only comes out of a night with a few bottles of rum at a punk gig in the depths of Cornwall.

I think this suggested quarter life crisis stems from how life happened for our parent’s generation. My parents were married at my age, everyone elses parents were married at my age. Kids were on the way in two and a happy, simple life of family gatherings etcetc blah blah blah laid ahead.

But I’m afraid to say it boys and girls, but we just haven’t been brought into a world that finds that practical any more. There are cheap flights to every corner of the earth, endless possibilities of education and technology – life is no longer that simple. And you know what? I’m glad it’s not. Life would be incredibly linear without the opportunities that constantly present themselves. Cheap flight to Morocco next week? OK. Last minute “yes ok, why not?” to a messy night with your favourite people even though I’ve got a chest infection. Of course.

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Where’s the JOY in growing up too fast?

My advice? Sod X-Factor, forget about social pressures and embrace the so-called mid-twenties crisis with open arms. You only get these precious years once.

– you can’t make this shit up

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Categories: Wise up!