So, it's my birthday today and I figured this would be as good a time as any to discuss the Western view of age. In case you're curious, I'm 35 today. By most people's calendars, I should be a responsible adult with a family, a nice suburban home, and fat 401k to retire on. What a disappointment I've turned out to be if that's how you measure success. But, when you get down to it, does age really matter?
How many times have you heard someone say, "I want to be married by 25, have my first child by 27, and be making $75,000 a year by 35″? Doesn't it seem like that person is taking all the spontaneity and fun out of life by reducing it to a series of events that may or may not occur? What happens if this person doesn't make of the self-imposed guidelines? Will they consider their life a failure? Unfortunately, I've seen this happen more than once.
Society seems to tell us where we're supposed to be at any given moment in our lives, be it in work, family, or education. When people see someone deep into adulthood working a $7.00 an hour job, silent speculation of where that person went wrong is often the result. If you go to a club and you see a man in his late 30s to early 40s, he's instantly labeled as being "too old" to be in there. Why? Why do we assume that someone's life is in the shitter simply because they don't earn as much as someone else? Why do we cut ourselves off from what was previously enjoyable just because we've seen a certain number of years? Personally, I don't go to clubs anymore because modern music sucks, but that's just me.
I'm not saying that this stuff has never bothered me. Turning 30 was difficult for me because I was in my second semester of junior college and it was just a little odd. Of course, that was before I adopted this current philosophy. My entire life has happened later than society says it's supposed to, but I'm fine. I joined the navy at 23, I didn't start college until I was 29 and I didn't graduate until 32. Now, at 35, I've turned my back on a good paying, but completely unfulfilling job and I have no idea what's next. My evil and heartless wife and I have decided not to add to the world's overpopulation, so the whole family status marker is out. We're doing what we feel is best for us and fuck everyone who can't get over the fact that age simply does not matter. Well, it matters when it comes to things like broken bones, but that's a different story.
In short, do what you want when you want regardless of everyone else's self-imposed age limits. A lot of people say that your teen years are the best of your life. I completely disagree. Those years are filled with needless drama and social awkwardness. Plus, you're still under the dominion of your parents. I say adulthood (regardless of decade) can be the best, if you let it. You're on your own and you don't have to ask permission for shit. If you want to go out and act like a kid, do it. If you want to go buy a convertible or a motorcycle, do it. If you're spouse says you're too old, kick him/her in the crotch and run. And don't worry about what other people say. If they're too limited in their vision to understand that you are not your age, then that's their loss. Fuck 'em.
P.S.: Oh, and in response to what my mentally deficient wife posted about me be self-conscious about my age - she's wrong as usual. I don't like birthdays because that's a time when people pretend they give a shit about you when they really don't. I'm not one of those narcissistic fucks that expects everyone to drop everything just because I came flying out of my mom's crotch on this day. I'm just not the attention whore that most people are on their birthdays. That being said, happy motherfucking birthday to me.
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