Heck! Quarter of my life :-(

Have you ever come across something termed 'Quarter life crisis'? Read a fwd abt something along those lines.

Crux of the stuff is this ->for people who are in their twenties-> you stop going along with the crowd and start realizing that there are a lot of things about yourself that you didn't know and may or may not like-> you wonder where you will be in a year or two, but then get scared because you barely know where you are now -> start realizing that people are selfish and that, maybe, those friends that you thought you were so close to aren't exactly the greatest people you have ever met and the people you have lost touch with are some of the most important ones -> your job is not even close to what you thought you would be doing -> you miss the comforts of college, of groups, of socializing with the same people on a constant basis-> suddenly change is the enemy and you try and cling on to the past with dear life but soon realize that the past is drifting further and further away and there is nothing to do but stay where you are or move forward-> you get your heart broken and wonder how someone you loved could do such damage to you or you lay in bed and wonder why you can't meet anyone decent enough to get to know better.

So thats it.... I ended up copying most of the article here... hope email fwds are not copyrighted. The fact is, I could agree to almost every sentence of that article. Most of my friends, whom I discussed this with, agreed with me too. So the thousand $ question is (not yet rich enough to ask million $ questions, u see), does there really exist a certain strange hormone which is mysteriously added to our systems on our twentieth birthday? Alternatively, is it just another nicely worded fwd?

My take is, if nothing else, there is at least a fair amount of confusion, if not a crisis.

So far, life used to flow in a straight line. After KG, its first standard. After 5th, always 6th. After 10th, you always had a Pre Univ course to attend. Agreed, selecting a career path might have been a problem for some, but not for all. Moreover, it was mostly a matter of preference, of people around you, and of course yourself. Just a matter of selecting one of the trodden paths, unlike inventing a new path altogether. So not much scope for a crisis. The river had a tranquil flow all the time. Your aim used to be to study | have fun | ranks | get a promotion to the next grade. That's it... You always knew what your immediate target was. Everything used to be crystal clear. World used to be a fair place for you to live | win | enjoy. No hidden traps | under the table arrangements | 'That's-how-things-happen-here' responses. You knew everything in black and white. You do this, u get A. You don't do this, u don't get B. It was as simple as that.

Life changes like hell, once you are done with your graduation. Suddenly you reach a junction with so many signboards. Paths of varying difficulties | importance. For the first time in your life, you are forced to make a choice that really matters. For many, just to decide between job and higher studies is a big task on its own. And for some others, its like a gamble, "lemme work for 2 yrs, make some quick buck, then go for highers". But the two years they spent in the industry are like, it not only oozes the last bit of energy out of you, but also pampers you with accessories like kind of a fat pay cheque, credit cards, club memberships and other stuff which are damn addictive. At the end of the whole exercise, you are as confused as you ever were.

The real problem starts when you start comparing yourself with your friends and foes. It is in your teen years that you make the strongest of bonds with ur pals... and in ur twenties, u start comparing yourself with what your friends are doing or not doing. And, the funny part of the whole story is you never observe the ones who are less privileged (whatever that means...). You only consider the case of people who are doing things, which you would have loved to do; enjoying stuff, which you would have loved to enjoy. At the same time, may be at least some of them are craving for what you are doing... its all part of the game.

World suddenly appears to be a cruel jungle, and monsters are hidden in the cabins and cubicles. Your friend gets a pay hike | promotion | a good assignment, and you feel left out of the party. Priorities in life changes. Suddenly you start feeling that your wavelength doesn't match with that of your friends'. You start acquiring new friends at workplace. But then, we all know what friends at workplace are meant to be and how they will treat you. Suddenly you feel as if you are left alone, all alone in the middle of nowhere. Fighting against the entire universe, which you feel has conspired against you, unlike what the Alchemist says.

A fairly long post, the intention of which is just to let you all know that the boat has an additional sailor.