Luceo Magazine

Quarter-Life Crisis

Chad Lennon Chad Lennon
March 2004

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Throughout our young lives, we grow up believing that once we finally break off on our own and start cutting our own way through life, things will be fine and dandy. Later on that dream gets a little tarnished when we get our first job and feel the bitter sting of having to actually work for the things we want. Nevertheless, we cling on blindly to the hope that once we have our own place, life will be easy. Well kids, I hate to break it to you, but it’s all a dream.

Our parents never warned us about this, but I have come to learn that there is an evil in this world that I shall call the “Quarter-Life Crisis.” Around the age of 21 to 24, you suddenly become painfully aware that life isn’t exactly as rosy as the mental picture you painted when you were 15. Chances are you are probably not living the fabulous life you always imagined and you may not be living it at all if you didn’t bother paying attention to all those anti-drug campaigns to “keep your nose clean.” But all this doesn’t matter; what really matters is: how did we get so far off track from the cotton candy and lollipop world we envisioned when we were kids? Most likely it’s not even your fault; life throws curveballs all the time. I should know.

One might wonder how I even came to this realization. Well once in the not-too-distant past, I woke up and realized that I am not where I need to be. I have my degree, which took me a year longer to get than planned (one of the aforementioned curveballs), and I am still working at the same place that paid my way through that lengthy academic career. This is the main part of the crisis: you wake up one morning and think to yourself, “I’m not doing enough with my life.” But fear not, for you are most certainly not alone in this matter.

Other things change as well, such as your tastes. A girl I work with, who happens to be in her mid-20s, was appalled at the fact that she was getting the tastes of an “old lady.” Things like this are the worst. In this age range you slowly realize that you are in fact an adult and you cannot cop out with an excuse of teenage stupidity any longer. Suddenly you become aware of your childishness and eventually your coveted “coolness” will start to wane. Next thing you know you wake up and you are 43 and your teenage daughter is whining about how “You just don’t ‘get’ me!” Frightening to even imagine, isn’t it? Yes, one day we will grow up and not be cool anymore, at least to our children. But this will pass and one day you can break out with the photo album and show your kids how kick-ass you were back in the day. You can then regale them with somewhat stretched tales about that time you got lit up like a Christmas tree and rode a cow through the downtown square. Oh, those were the days!

Yes, one day all of you will learn of the quarter-life crisis and begin the epic struggle of resisting the adulthood you looked forward to your entire naïve life. Think of it as life’s alarm clock going off; just make sure you don’t hit the snooze button too many times.

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