Anonymous writes: As a person of the mid twenty region, I find myself asking “what the heck do I do now”? One spends a good portion up to this point as a student, learning, experiencing, and are pretty much up to the will of the parents to some degree. So now what do we do once the graduation from college happens and hopefully a decent job is found? Are we just meant to spend the rest of our days working for the ultimate goal of retirement? How does one get themselves out of the gads of credit debt and student loans which just seem to pile up even if you do give the equivalent of one pay check to ‘them’ every month? What is the point?
As in school, where I prayed to get past a certain test day, or to make it to the next break, I find myself doing the same thing at work. Hey it’s Wednesday, two more days to go. Hey, it’s Thursday one more day! Thank God it’s Friday. I’m mean am I supposed to live for the weekend, that holiday break? Where is the meaning in just working to pay off those bills from college? What happened to getting a job and being secure and saving up for that house you always wanted … or going on a trip to Europe?
Instead are we meant to work 5 days a week (sometimes more with my job) and ONLY have 2 days for ‘real life?’ Who made up that rule and how can I get out?
I guess I just don’t get it. The only thing that keeps me going is looking forward to the weekend and hoping my days at work are good/decent. What happened to free time for one’s self? But why do I feel guilty if I have free time and I use it do ‘nothing’ just because I can?
Someone help me out here, because no matter what happens, no amount of partying or alcohol will ever allow me to accept the fate of the so called every day reality of real life. I thought life is what you make of it. So why am I in debt, a slave to my collegiate efforts despite my job, AND yet barely living a decent menial existence?
Update October 7, 2002: A lot of people have assumed I wrote this bit, so just to clarify: while I won’t say who wrote it since it was posted anonymously, I didn’t write it. However, if you read my comment attached to the story, you’ll see that I definitely can identify with the author.
Tags: Features
September 21st, 2002 at 10:14 am
That sums up pretty well how I feel. I’ll add to it, this: I feel like I’m waiting for something–as if my life is in transition. But I’m not sure exactly what it is I’m waiting for. Perhaps a belief system to call my own. Perhaps to be out of debt and experience financial freedom. Perhaps to settle down and start a family. Perhaps I’m waiting for the time to be right to go elsewhere and experience something new. I don’t exactly know. Perhaps the reality is that I live under the illusion that this is not real life–that I’m not there yet.
October 17th, 2002 at 9:12 pm
I may be able to add a different perspective to what some call the “rat race.” I work my 40+ hours a week in order to provide for my family. I have found almost unimaginable satisfaction and joy from being a part of the lives of my wife and children. In truth, if need be, I would work twice as much, have half the time with them, and the rewards would still outweigh the sacrifice. Its very difficult to describing the rewards of having a family in words. It is something each person must experiece for him/her self.
The Family: A Proclamation to the World
October 17th, 2002 at 9:19 pm
“Its very difficult to describing the rewards of having a family in words. It is something each person must experiece for him/her self. “
What I meant to say is, “Its very difficult to describe in words the rewards of having a family. It is something each person must experiece for him/her self.”
October 18th, 2002 at 7:54 am
yeah, that is one of my biggest goals in life: start a family some day. In the meantime I’m trying to get myself to a point where I’m ready to be a husband and father. I want to be the best I can in those two categories…