Turning 30 and why I am excited to be done with my 20s
Tomorrow is my birthday, and I will be 30 years old. For months my friends and family have been expressing their condolences that my 20s are coming to an end, and the women I know are all either telling me about how much they dreaded turning 30, or how much they are dreading turning 30. Well, I'm here to tell you I just really don't mind at all.
My twenties sucked. I guess not a lot of people feel that way about that decade of their lives, I hear people say things all the time like "oh, if I was in my twenties again..." seeming to long for those days. But my twenties were a minefield of tragedy, hard lessons and grief. I realize that most people romanticize the era of their post-adolescence, remembering with fondness the struggles of burgeoning adulthood, of cramming for college finals and week-long benders, the smell of an all-night kegger, the fear of running from the police with your drunk friends, fighting with roommates, late night trips to the coffee shop, and all the rest.
But if I am being honest, doesn't all that stuff suck? Having to fight with roommates because you can't afford a place of your own yet sucks. Hang overs suck. The stress of finals sucks. Trying to balance a full class load two part time jobs sucks. Sleep deprivation, no matter how young and healthy you are, sucks. These experiences were not fun for me, and I pretty much ran screaming from all the trappings of my 20s as quickly as possible. I had only one, just one roommate, and it was a disaster of mythical proportions.
Then there is the stigma of being a "twenty-something". When someone asks you how old you are and you identify yourself as a "twenty-something", they stop listening. It is assumed that you know nothing, have done nothing and can contribute nothing. You are instantly dismissed just for being in your twenties, which on the one hand I sort of understand, I can't stand people my age either, but on the other hand, it's fucking infuriating because the people who are excluding you for being in your twenties are the same people who want to bitch and complain about how people in their twenties are worthless and contribute nothing.
And then there is a whole fear of aging thing. Yes, I realize that the most sought after demographic is now behind me, yes I realize that I am aging and that I am not as young as I once was, no I do not feel threatened by this, I do not feel less attractive and I do not feel the urge to slut it up big time in order to compensate for feeling "old".
And lastly, the "biological clock". Many women are fond of telling me that soon I will hear my "biological clock" ticking away because I am about to turn 30 and I don;t have any children. They like to use the word "yet", but that implies that someday I will have children, which is a very rude thing to imply, because I am fucking NOT. I don't hear any clocks ticking as of now, and if I do get reproductive urges at some point, I will recognize them for the hormonal impulses they are and still not have any fucking kids because I like living my life for myself, and I don't need to make little copies of myself in order to validate my existence.
OK, well, I think that just about covers it! For those of you under 30, how to you feel about turning 30 one day? Excitement or dread? For those you over 30, especially women, what was turning 30 like for you? Please comment below!
My twenties sucked. I guess not a lot of people feel that way about that decade of their lives, I hear people say things all the time like "oh, if I was in my twenties again..." seeming to long for those days. But my twenties were a minefield of tragedy, hard lessons and grief. I realize that most people romanticize the era of their post-adolescence, remembering with fondness the struggles of burgeoning adulthood, of cramming for college finals and week-long benders, the smell of an all-night kegger, the fear of running from the police with your drunk friends, fighting with roommates, late night trips to the coffee shop, and all the rest.
But if I am being honest, doesn't all that stuff suck? Having to fight with roommates because you can't afford a place of your own yet sucks. Hang overs suck. The stress of finals sucks. Trying to balance a full class load two part time jobs sucks. Sleep deprivation, no matter how young and healthy you are, sucks. These experiences were not fun for me, and I pretty much ran screaming from all the trappings of my 20s as quickly as possible. I had only one, just one roommate, and it was a disaster of mythical proportions.
Then there is the stigma of being a "twenty-something". When someone asks you how old you are and you identify yourself as a "twenty-something", they stop listening. It is assumed that you know nothing, have done nothing and can contribute nothing. You are instantly dismissed just for being in your twenties, which on the one hand I sort of understand, I can't stand people my age either, but on the other hand, it's fucking infuriating because the people who are excluding you for being in your twenties are the same people who want to bitch and complain about how people in their twenties are worthless and contribute nothing.
And then there is a whole fear of aging thing. Yes, I realize that the most sought after demographic is now behind me, yes I realize that I am aging and that I am not as young as I once was, no I do not feel threatened by this, I do not feel less attractive and I do not feel the urge to slut it up big time in order to compensate for feeling "old".
And lastly, the "biological clock". Many women are fond of telling me that soon I will hear my "biological clock" ticking away because I am about to turn 30 and I don;t have any children. They like to use the word "yet", but that implies that someday I will have children, which is a very rude thing to imply, because I am fucking NOT. I don't hear any clocks ticking as of now, and if I do get reproductive urges at some point, I will recognize them for the hormonal impulses they are and still not have any fucking kids because I like living my life for myself, and I don't need to make little copies of myself in order to validate my existence.
OK, well, I think that just about covers it! For those of you under 30, how to you feel about turning 30 one day? Excitement or dread? For those you over 30, especially women, what was turning 30 like for you? Please comment below!
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