Our generation won’t grow up?
Perspective of a “twister” on adulthood, change, settling down and why some of us seem to refuse to do it.
By Lynnette Wilson
Time magazine recently published a very interesting article about people of my generation. “They’re not kids anymore, but they are not adults either […] they change apartments frequently, have no children, are in their mid to late twenties”. I read with fascination all the theories about why people of my generation won’t “grow up” and wondered if I fit the profile. Perhaps if you look at my life since college graduation you would think I do. Just for fun, I thought I’d examine my reasons for not “growing-up” and compare them with Time’s theories.
Am I a twister?
In the last five years I’ve lived in 2 countries (PR, USA), 5 states (VA, KS, IL, DC, MD) and 7 different apartments. I’ve lived alone and with roommates. I’ve worked for the same company… mainly because I’ve been able to change jobs and locations without changing corporations. At age 26 I just got married… finally… quoting some of my family members when I gave them the news of the engagement.
My mom had finally been feeling less worried about me. I’ve been in the same state for the last 2 years, live in a town I love, finished paying off my school debt and am happily married. My career is very promising, the pay is good and she really likes my husband. It seemed like she could move on to worry about other things. Soon I would be buying a house, maybe even having kids. Not really.
My husband and I decided to quit our jobs and join the Peace Corps. We’ve been nominated to a program in Latin America starting in May. My poor mother is worrying about me all over again. Am I ever going to settle down?
Am I a twister? I guess you could say so.
Why?
I don't consider myself a "twister". It is not that I am undecided or unstable. I am looking for more in life. I refuse to settle for a meaningless office job, boring life in a small personal world when I can go for more. I want to experience. I want to give back. The more I see, the more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize I have so much growing up to do. Life is too imporant to take it lightly. It needs to be lived. I want my life to be special. I want to, at the end of my days, look back and smile at everything I experienced.
I do want to have a family. I do want to settle down. I do want to “grow-up”. When I am ready. This is just not my time for that.
I can not speak for all in my generation, but I can tell about my own perspective. I am not refusing to grow up, I am enjoying the process. I am making the most of it. When I get to the next step in my life I will have all these experiences to bring to it and I will be a better person for it.
Time magazine recently published a very interesting article about people of my generation. “They’re not kids anymore, but they are not adults either […] they change apartments frequently, have no children, are in their mid to late twenties”. I read with fascination all the theories about why people of my generation won’t “grow up” and wondered if I fit the profile. Perhaps if you look at my life since college graduation you would think I do. Just for fun, I thought I’d examine my reasons for not “growing-up” and compare them with Time’s theories.
Am I a twister?
In the last five years I’ve lived in 2 countries (PR, USA), 5 states (VA, KS, IL, DC, MD) and 7 different apartments. I’ve lived alone and with roommates. I’ve worked for the same company… mainly because I’ve been able to change jobs and locations without changing corporations. At age 26 I just got married… finally… quoting some of my family members when I gave them the news of the engagement.
My mom had finally been feeling less worried about me. I’ve been in the same state for the last 2 years, live in a town I love, finished paying off my school debt and am happily married. My career is very promising, the pay is good and she really likes my husband. It seemed like she could move on to worry about other things. Soon I would be buying a house, maybe even having kids. Not really.
My husband and I decided to quit our jobs and join the Peace Corps. We’ve been nominated to a program in Latin America starting in May. My poor mother is worrying about me all over again. Am I ever going to settle down?
Am I a twister? I guess you could say so.
Why?
I don't consider myself a "twister". It is not that I am undecided or unstable. I am looking for more in life. I refuse to settle for a meaningless office job, boring life in a small personal world when I can go for more. I want to experience. I want to give back. The more I see, the more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize I have so much growing up to do. Life is too imporant to take it lightly. It needs to be lived. I want my life to be special. I want to, at the end of my days, look back and smile at everything I experienced.
I do want to have a family. I do want to settle down. I do want to “grow-up”. When I am ready. This is just not my time for that.
I can not speak for all in my generation, but I can tell about my own perspective. I am not refusing to grow up, I am enjoying the process. I am making the most of it. When I get to the next step in my life I will have all these experiences to bring to it and I will be a better person for it.
posted by Lynnette @ 11:34 PM
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