There is a lot of pressure placed on the twenty-something-year-old as far as starting a career, making money, finding a permanent mate, and thus becoming part of the real-world. This financial pressure system has left me with a year and a half left of graduate school and looking forward to retirement.
I remember when I was younger I was so much more motivated and so much more disciplined in getting things done and I strived for big dreams. Now, although I’m only in my mid-twenties and still considered by society as “young”, I find myself a cynical, ill-tempered, procrastinator. This leads me to wish that in my extreme youth (birth till 21), I had created financial stability to support my roaring twenties.
This arrangement seems to be a little bit more accommodating. Until about 15, you are not able to drive or get a permit. Legal drinking age starts at 21, and you really are not legal until 18 (16 under some special circumstances). What kind of fun can you really have? Not to mention, your parents are always around to make sure that you’re not having too much fun anyway.
Beside the corrupted development of language, and nurturing needed for childhood, working from birth till 21-years of age really isn’t that bad. That’s 21 years of work experience. We could retire early and having worked for so long, enjoy our retirement not faced with the trials and tribulations that accompany old age. This time can also be spent seriously looking for that special someone to share your life with and to start and raise a family.
Now partying in retirement will eventually get old, especially as we age. My thoughts are that at 41, I’ll probably finally realize what I want to do with my life and maybe will want to go to school to learn how to do what is that I want to do. I’ll be more disciplined then and actually be serious about school because not only am I starting to near zero in my retirement funds, but I will have had much world knowledge and experience to realize my true calling. Plus, with the fast approaching mid-life crisis, I will be even more motivated to leave a little something good behind in the world.
But alas! I have one and a half years left of school, am frightened of what is awaiting me, and am unsure if what I’m studying is my calling for the rest of my life. Which leaves me wondering if I should put off the real-world for another few years by getting yet another degree. Kanye never took into consideration that maybe those pursuing degrees upon degrees in college may just be scared of what awaits them after school is over.