Kelsey Parsons

I just read an article titled “Why Being in Your 20s Sucks,” and I’m happy to say I totally disagree with most of the points. Sure, a few of them are true, but I’m a firm believer in looking at things in a positive light and appreciating the moment.

That’s why I’m writing, “Why Being in Your 20s is Awesome.”

I barely qualify for the 20s category, but young people are allowed to think they know everything right? I don’t know everything, but I’m pretty sure your youth is supposed to be enjoyable. Yes, your 20s totally count as youth. Ask an old person.

WHY BEING IN YOUR 20s IS AWESOME

1) You have no idea where you’re heading in life

The first point in that article about how your 20s sucks is “you have no idea where you’re heading in life.” Okay, sure. That’s completely true for me, as my internship ends at the end of summer and then, well, I have no idea. As a person who plans for things years in advance, this is an uncomfortable predicament. I like spending my days plotting every single aspect of my future life (I know, I know). The thing is, I also like the fact that 2013 could bring a variety of adventures that I haven’t even considered yet. I could be anywhere, doing anything with anyone. I could be disappointed or overjoyed. It may be an odd feeling to be completely free, but it’s also comforting. I remember my days as a bored teenager fantasizing about heading to the train station instead of to school, headed in an unknown and unimportant direction. Your 20s are that train, and the journey is even more important than the destination. I think most people have some idea where they’re headed in life, even if they don’t want to admit it to themselves for fear of being disappointed. It is one thing to dream of something and another to do it, but the main factor that causes many to not actually follow through with their dreams is fear. Money is another annoying factor, of course, but sacrifice is worth it when it comes to your dreams (if sacrifice is an option, of course). Not knowing where you’ll be in 10 years is a comfort, if anything. Nobody wants to be the same person they were as a 22-year-old when they’re 40 (well, most people don’t anyway), and your 20s are about trying and failing and learning and growing. Also, enjoying!

2) Being in your 20s is like New Years everyday 

While that other article used this point to mean your 20s are filled with disappointment, I do think the metaphor is partly true. New Years is about, well, the new year, and the opportunities and changes that come with it. It’s about ringing in these changes while sparkling and laughing with your friends (or strangers). It’s about learning how much fun is too much fun, and what fun means to you. It’s about putting yourself out there (or not) and buying a new dress with money you don’t have (or not). It’s about hope and promise and fun and sparkles and yelling in unison. Your 20s should be filled with similar things if you’re doing them right! Laugh before you get jaded, dance before your knees hurt, make mistakes before they’re indelible, and never stop sparkling.

3) You seem to have the “You are not a girl, not yet a woman” mentality

Another point that can be looked at in two ways. Sure, it feels weird when someone calls you “Madam” or “Mrs” as a single twenty-something, but it’s a reminder that you look like an adult even though it feels like you lived in a dorm yesterday. It helps you appreciate the freedoms that come with being unattached. You can wear suits while working 9-6 and not feel immature when changing into cartoon-covered pyjamas at 7pm and watching Toddlers and Tiaras (okay, maybe graduate to plaid). After work drinks make you feel like a grown-up not a sore thumb, and your biggest concern is feeding your cat, not providing for three kids. You’re in transition, able to appreciate the things of your past while adapting to the future. When Britney Spears sang “not a girl, not yet a woman,” she was still a young, innocent blonde on the edge of the unknown (note the cliff metaphor in the video). It turned out she was on the edge of some very rough times, and I’m sure she wishes she’d appreciated those young innocent times when they were in the present. Being a full-fledged adult woman has its perks, but the perils get even harder as time goes on. Your 20s are a time to prepare, watch, and learn.

4) People start pressuring you left and right

It’s true that your 20s are a time of scrutiny and opinions from the people you hold most dear. The thing is, this is the reason you’re forced to form opinions and focus on what you want and who you are. It’s a time of self reflection and indulging in your own thoughts. Some people won’t get your dreams, and that’s okay. If words can’t hold you back, nothing can. What’s that thing that people say? Pressure makes diamonds? That may be true, but the main thing pressure does is make you realize what you’re willing to fight for and what you’re willing to concede (if anything).

In sum, your 20s DO NOT suck. Stop thinking they do! We’ll all have more fun if we’re wild and free like we’re supposed to be.