Perks of being in your twenties

Catch a twenty-something off-guard and ask him how he is dealing with his life and he’ll look at you like you've just gone out of your way to discuss his single most awkward event openly in public. And that, my friend and fellow wallower, will come with a side of uneasy smiles, self-deprecating tales and a massive case of undereye bags. There's hardly ever an easy answer, like for instance, Oh it's great! or I’m doing fabulous.

But there will always be some that will also just flip out their fancy phones, display photographs of their cool squads or narrate awesome adventures to your face. So what exactly is it like to be a twenty-something? From the threshold of stepping into the third decade of your existence, does one look back at these years with fondness or immense relief? Let's walk through it.

The thrill of being a certain age to be able to do certain things is never ending. Turning eighteen is great but turning twenty-one even better. Once in your twenties, an individual is exposed to a world of possibilities. One step at a time, he delves into newer recesses, exploring a kind of foreign idea and avenue that was once out of his reach. Shedding the garb of an underage he ventures through the myriad roads waiting before him.  

Usually in India one is done with school and almost even through college in the nascent period of their twenties, crossing over to what most would say, the real world. Having said that, I must clarify that the idea of the real world is pretty relative. It will alter from person to person, depending mainly on the experiences they faced in their lifetime. For some it's a world brimming with opportunities; a chance to finally dip into the pool of independence and a window allowing them to make their own decisions. But for some, it can translate into a coming to terms, something in the lines of a direct face-off with the harshest reality of things. 

As people would like to believe, school marks a prominent end to the so-called era of human innocence. Individuals gladly walk into adulthood with an unflinching hope to find a bed of roses. It works out that way at times, yes, when all your decisions just happen to walk you to brighter paths. But sometimes it turns out differently too. 

Fresh out of homes and secure environments, sooner or later they meet one of their firsts : disappointment. There is hardly any of that rosy filter left anymore, to colour things in a better way, and even if it can, the truth shines through no matter what. They see things as they are, sometimes out of choice, sometimes forcibly. And eventually, they learn to take in life without being fed the sugar-coated pill. They take chances with the genuineness of truth and after all the sweat, the grime, shake it off to live another day.

So what are the perks? When you are a twenty-something living by your own rules, building a life made solely by your experiences, it is common knowledge that there will be errors here and there. You will make mistakes, choose blind lanes but always remember that in your twenties you will get your fair share of second chances. So pick yourself up, it's just the beginning.

From a tender age, children anticipate themselves growing up and turning a particular age. For some it'll always be sixteen and not a day more. Maybe it's the same old thrill about youth and the transience around it: naivety with a hint of adolescence peeking through. People have preferences and oh, I have mine. For years I have been mapping ways in my head to find an age for myself when I will finally start feeling comfortable about where I am. Not the hey, this feels nice, but the hey, this feels right. Perhaps when I am thirty-five, I can come around and give this thought another go.

Everything said and done, it is awesome but you will also have your work cut out for you. In your twenties, you will break free but life will embrace you after it all. Even after the heartbreaks, the numerous reality checks, the sudden monsoons, she will take you in like a kind stranger you bumped into on the road. You will fall, you will lose your way. There will be mistakes, and there will be plenty. But you’ll always somehow find your way back. She will help you and you will hold on to her while she does. Twenty-somethings are allowed to do that.