So as I advance towards the grand old age of 29, 1 year shy of the big 3-0, I find myself in a rather philosophical state of mind and entering the territory of Carrie Bradshaw as I ask:
What's the big deal about turning 30?
Okay, first some 'fun' facts about the number 29 (courtesy of wikipedia, so hopefully they are correct!):
It is the tenth prime number
The atomic number of copper
Saturn requires over 29 years to orbit the Sun
The designation of Interstate 29, a U. S. freeway that runs from Missouri to North Dakota.
In 365 more days I will be departing the land of 20-something which I have inhabited for the last decade and entering the unknown and scary world of 'the 30's'. So what are my issues with this age?
I suppose to be true, it's not really my issues but other peoples. Especially being female, there are so many pressures that come in the 30's. We are expected by some point in this decade to have great careers, been married, had children (the clock is ticking . . .) before we reach the barren land of the 40's. Because of course if these things haven't happened by the age of 40, we are on the scrap heap.
Who is to blame for this? Men play a part. I don't get the double standards of a man having a relationship with someone vastly younger than then and women doing the same. Personally I think dating/marrying/whatever someone (anyone) 20 years younger than you is a little icky and raises all kinds of psychological questions. But as a consequence of this, many women feel they are in some kind of competition with the younger members of their sex. And therefore we are also to blame. We gossip about our friends, place impossible pressures of perfections on ourselves, obsess over tiny details.
Age is just a number. I have friends of lots of ages and I appreciate the uniqueness of them all, we all need to see each other as individuals, not a summation of the number of years we have lived (or our hair colour/choice of clothing brand/how 'cool' we are). I wouldn't go back to being younger for any amount of money. I've learned so much 'growing up' and I still am.
They may say youth is wasted on the young, but it's only a waste if you don't use it. And I choose to squeeze every last drop out of mine.
But, after all that, I may start shaving a few years off now. Just a few :)
Jenna: Wait, listen to me. I'm 13!
Lucy: Jenna, if you're gonna start lying about your age, I'd go with 27.
(13 going on 30)
I must admit, I know how you feel, and indeed feel the same. Did i waste my younger years? Parts of me think so. Will my life be over at 30? The outside world says yes. But, stowic as ever, I continue to believe that life is what you make it...!
ReplyDeleteI'm not going to change next year. My life is not going to change. People perceptions of me may change but hell that's there problem. I'm going to keep 'living the dream' as I put it. God only knows where I will be in 10 years time. I'm rather excited by the thought :)
ReplyDelete