Through 20 Eyes: A brief look at ages 20 to 29

As time passes we age. As we age we grow with the assistance of the many experiences that we have in life. We start off as children, slip into adolescence and mature into adults. For some of us our defining moments occur when we are in adolescence but for many others this occurs when we are becoming young adults. Once these occur we truly start to break away from the influence our parents have had on us since birth and begin to develop the individual self. There are many paths to take on this road to self-discovery but from the point of view of an outside perspective, there is a certain essence to any age. Every decade of life presents new challenges, as well as new discoveries that help identify the essence of the people within that time. This article will make an attempt at display the essence of the age range of 20-29. The Job Route In the United States the legal age to work is 16 and as a result many of those in their late teens begin their first job. With this new-found source of income to very important choices can be made the help to guide the direction in which their life might take, to save or to spend what you have earned. Those who choose to save take on the task of accepting responsibility and adhering to the fact that life requires structure. Plans and goals are set into place for these individuals and they quickly become accustomed to fulfilling them. For those that decide to spend their earnings, a new sense of freedom is discovered in the form of “what can I buy now”. As these individuals become 21, the US legal drinking age, the world of intoxicants and where to acquire them becomes readily available, if they weren’t already exposed to this lifestyle beforehand. This usually occurs in someone’s early-20s but it’s typically still seen occurring in the mid-20s. By the time we reach our mid-20s, the experience that we have acquired over the years starts to kick in and give relevance over the younger generation that is just starting to embark upon their road to adulthood. At this time many of us begin to start the taking roles of leadership, guiding and influencing others that seem to be heading in the same direction. The College Route As a child, school is a necessary activity in which there was no other option. Once the onset of graduation begins we start envision life after high school. For some of us the only obvious answer was a step up in education and prepare for college. Some decide to take time off before making that huge decision but for the most part this all occurs in the late teens and early 20s. With college life comes a lot of responsibility but at the same time there’s also a tremendous amount of freedom. Some devote themselves to forming a solid future, well others decide to explore to gain life experience and everlasting memories. No matter what path is taken one thing that’s known for sure about the college life, the diversity in ages and types of people from all different walks of life definitely make an influence on all the people that participate in this type of lifestyle. Wether to explorer or to structure, the college life eventually ends and the time comes where you must begin to forge your own life. This usually occurs in the mid-20s, when one begins to have a need for accomplishment, some personal, others professional. Many graduate college and begin their new career, others explorer other life choices, experiences and locations they were previously unaware of. During the mid-20s some that began to explore start to settle down and focus on structure, as those who focused on the structure may start to feel burnt out and want to loosen up. At this time many other become set in their ways or start to realize the need for change that will eventually call to action in their late 20s. As it Comes to a Close As you go through your mid-20s, you start to accomplish small feats that guide you to your particular path. You start to formulate ideas on how to better yourself. When you reach your late 20s you begin taking the necessary steps to reach that goal. This is the phase where you're full of questions. You wonder “ what have I done with my life?”, “where am I going?”, “what does it mean to be happy?” and “what do I want and don’t want in my life?”. These are the defining moments that will occur to shape the future you. You start to prepare yourself for the last years before you leave your 20s behind you. The 20s can be seen as a time for mistakes and a lot of learning. In my opinion the 20s are also the years in which you decide who you want to be and what defines you as an individual. As always these are just some of the many ways it with your life can take and should be observed with a grain of salt, used only as another perspective to gain Insight from.