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Thursday, October 26, 2006
Why don’t Young People Party Anymore?
When I was a little girl, I always wanted to finally grow older. When something upset me or my parents did now allow me to do whatever I wanted, I used to tell to myself “Never mind, I will be a grown up one day and show’em!” What exactly was my image of me as a grown up? Well, of absolute freedom of course.
As I grew up, my image of me as a young woman adapted: successful, working a lot of course, happy, in love, with lots of friends, going out to have fun, having lunches and diners in fancy restaurants, going to clubs whenever I wanted etc.
Well I kind of did all that. And I feel now like that period of my life is so over! Who has time for clubs and parties? No one, everyone around me gets up, goes to school/work, comes home to sleep and starts again…Out of different and sometimes stupid reasons, we do a bundle of things at the same time.
The need of independence makes us work and we get full time jobs long before finishing college/university. We work hard to earn more, afford more, be someone in our field (who cares we change field each year sometimes?). Then we barely see our friends who look just as tired as we do.
And we also turn into our parents: all we talk about is work! Movies, theaters, books, all are postponed indefinitely. And when we finally find the physical time, we lack the energy to do anything else. For example it is Thursday today and what I think of is my well deserved weekend which is so close! What is the sweetest plan to my ears and all the rest of my senses: sleeeeeeppppp!!!
I and others like me get bored of just being a little robot doing their task. That’s the moment when you finally get to a club, see friends, walk in the park, take a road trip…The result is a week during which you will feel a little bit more tired and swear to yourself you will get some rest during the entire next weekend…
What will I do this weekend? Fool myself that I will get more sleep and shove 10 new tasks down my throat, of course. Why do people need more diplomas, more things to learn and to apply, more of everything professional? For money, for fame, or only to get by? In a world where we compete more and more, when will we start driving each other crazy?
What if I do if I could just stop for while? Given I’d have the proper funds, travel around the world, of course, writing about the people I meet, places I see, and the experiences I’d actually live. What would you do? And for how long would you last without missing your job and the utility myth?
Oh, and here's another solution. I'm at three cups a day, with milk. You?
I remember my first year of college: friday, 8:00am - exam; thursday, 11:00pm - clubbin... I can't really say why I got a job during college. Not the money, for sure. I remember I was having the time of my life, doing all sorts of things, and one day I saw this poster with some ASM code and a question: "Have you read it?" "I did, I did... What's my prize?" Company presentation and interviews afterwards. "Here something new to try" I said to myself, and went to the interview, just to see how an interview feels like... The woman from HR than came to me, and her words are some reason scrawled upon my memory - "You know what I'm about to tell you, right?" "I didn't pass" "On the contrary, you're in" It was like I had stepped through the looking glass... I continued with my partying until work started, at which moment everything changed. Now I have plans, career hopes&co. I go to work, I go to school, I come home, and go right back at the start of it. And never once (until now, that is) did I stop and look back, to ask myself: Why the hell did I get into this? I don't regret it the least, on the other hand. As a job showed me things I had never heard of before, like punctuality, responsibility. :P And money. :(
So why do we do it? I think it's because of the world around us. Everything's happening so fast these days, we unwillingly start to want it all and want it now. Should it stop, though, I think I'd have a hell of a time trying to be just as student again. First thing I'd do is spend as much quality time as I can with my better half, who is 500km away. Then I'd start looking for a new job. :)
Lots of vitamins and minerals, and Red Bull/Burn in moments of crisis.
Ryan, I don't think I'd last much without a job unless I did something really great. As for Red Bull, still chemical, I am trying to stick to coffee only and give up Coca-Cola and other energy drinks that I seem to abuse.
I guess technically I *am* doing it! Ever since I moved to Mozambique I feel like I've left the utility myth behind. Sure, I work really, really hard sometimes - but the bulk of my days I spend doing whatever I want to, and always have faith that a new contract will appear on the horizon just in time before I go totally broke.
I've traveled, fallen in love, had several crises (most revolving around whether or not I should do something more "useful" with myself like consulting with a firm, or become an artist/writer), and done a lot of hanging out.
It's been 1.5 years and I feel tempted to return to the rat race, but for a limited time. I'd accept an offer to work at a firm for 1 year, for example, so I could save up money and support myself with no worries for another period like this one. Maybe then I could write a book and start an online jewelry store...
I don't ever think I'll go to a full-time corporate job indefinitely. That idea is appealing to Ricardo, but certainly not for me. Especially not now that I've had a taste of freedom!!
My boyfriend, who does the same work as me but is better at balancing work and pleasure, says that work is supposed to make our lives better. When it stops being fun (for instance, the splitting headaches I've had lately for stressing so much), we should stop and reconsider how much we let ourselves consumed by our professional life. I keep promising myself that after Nov. 1 (I have deadlines for three projects on that day) I'll come back to normality. In the meantime I enjoy my second cup of coffee for the day -- thus breaking my one-cup-a-day rule...
Actually, you could try the online jewelry shop about now, do just bits of the needed work whenever you have time :)
Raluca, I have hard times not being stressed about my job. But that was never news. Even if you keep your cool, as I sometimes manage, the sleep and tiredness still prevent you from doing everything you like.
the scourge of modern life is that we're probably always tired, feeling ragged and taking on more responsibilities then we need for whatever reasons... sometimes i suspect it's a way of avoiding the silence in a world in which we feel less at home in than desireable, because when the noise falls away we need to face ourselves as well, in the situations we've created for ourselves...
hope this helps, i need to sleep again, not all that well right now...
Bilal, I would choose the same if I had enough money.
Bart, sorry to hear you are not that well. I think it's something generally wrong in the athmosphere, the world, or I don't know where. Hope you get better soon.
Given I'd have the proper funds, travel around the world, of course, writing about the people I meet, places I see, and the experiences I'd actually live. I would do the same. But work or budjet doesn't stop me doing so. I try to do all these things; only some time ballance is disturbed in life.
If I wouldn't need to worry about funds, I would start my little business, walk in a park 3 times/week, exercise 3h/week, read as many books as possible, take photos spend quality time with my boyfriend and go out with my friends.
Name: Alina Home: Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania About Me: "This is my church. This is where I heal my hurts". It's also where I feel free and my preferred means of expression. See my complete profile
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I remember my first year of college: friday, 8:00am - exam; thursday, 11:00pm - clubbin... I can't really say why I got a job during college. Not the money, for sure. I remember I was having the time of my life, doing all sorts of things, and one day I saw this poster with some ASM code and a question: "Have you read it?" "I did, I did... What's my prize?" Company presentation and interviews afterwards. "Here something new to try" I said to myself, and went to the interview, just to see how an interview feels like... The woman from HR than came to me, and her words are some reason scrawled upon my memory - "You know what I'm about to tell you, right?" "I didn't pass" "On the contrary, you're in"
It was like I had stepped through the looking glass... I continued with my partying until work started, at which moment everything changed. Now I have plans, career hopes&co. I go to work, I go to school, I come home, and go right back at the start of it. And never once (until now, that is) did I stop and look back, to ask myself: Why the hell did I get into this? I don't regret it the least, on the other hand. As a job showed me things I had never heard of before, like punctuality, responsibility. :P And money. :(
So why do we do it? I think it's because of the world around us. Everything's happening so fast these days, we unwillingly start to want it all and want it now. Should it stop, though, I think I'd have a hell of a time trying to be just as student again. First thing I'd do is spend as much quality time as I can with my better half, who is 500km away. Then I'd start looking for a new job. :)
Lots of vitamins and minerals, and Red Bull/Burn in moments of crisis.