Life: The First Quarter

The first quarter is the first 25 years of your life, assuming that you live to be 100 years old, is about what most of us experience in our first 25 years of life.  It may not be the same for everyone, but some of the same experiences we have and face typically occur in those first 25 years.

Most of us really don’t remember our very early childhood, between the ages of birth to about 3 or 4, so to and explain that time period would be a complete guess.  But at about 5 years old we can recall situations and events that stood out to us at that time.  Maybe it was the first time we played a sport, rode a bike, got into a fight, or even found out we cannot fly.  Whatever the situation we remember those bits and pieces for a reason, they were times that we learned or did something for the first time.  Some of the experiences we remember are just happy or sad ones, but usually that is all we remember from that age.

I remember getting my very first “big boy” bike and thinking it was the best bike in the world.  I was so proud of it that I had to show it off to everyone that lived in our neighborhood.  So I began to ride my bike down the sidewalk peddling as fast as my little legs would allow.  Because I had been around the block a few times with other bikes, I knew where the cracks in the sidewalk were and how to avoid them.  But what I did forget about was the light pole set dead center in the sidewalk.  As I began to look down at the sidewalk I blacked out, only to awaken on the ground screaming.  I ran head first into the light pole, thus ending my exciting day. 

Its things like that we laugh at now, but when we were younger those types of things were so dramatic for us.  To me, I think that time in our life so instrumental in our development into our teen years and as an adult.  At that point in our lives we learn what it’s like to become responsible (chores), what friendship is about, what it feels like to have our feelings hurt, and the difference between right and wrong.  Without those essential learnings, we aren’t prepared as an individual to face the real world. 

After a few birthdays here and there you are now a teenager (14-16).  Hormones are racing and school is just an obstacle in your way of hanging out with friends and people of the opposite sex.  We are also learning people can be very rude and mean, and our best interest isn’t their concern.  We become pressured into bad situations, taking part in bad activities, and understanding what two-faced means.  Because status and popularity at that point in life are important, teenagers will do whatever it takes to stay out of or be in the limelight. 

Little do we know that after high school no one cares about who did/was what at that time.  After you graduate it’s a fresh start and being a jock, geek, or whatever in high school accounts for nothing.  Those who hold on to it after high school are the ones who never grow up and end up doing nothing with their lives.  So don’t get stressed about the whole he said she said crap that happens in high school, be who you are and that’s it.  Let God take care of those who hurt you in any way, taking things into your own hands only hurts yourself and the people who truly love you. 

Now at this point in our lives comes a crossroad.  Some go to college, work, or do nothing.  For those that go to college, it’s a time to find out who you really are as a person.  You may do this if you go down the work or nothing path, but college is a bit different.  Now mom and dad aren’t there to help guide you in your decisions.  There’s no curfew, no one to ask if your homework is done, or tell you that you shouldn’t do that.  But because college sometimes helps prolong adolescence, we find ourselves facing situations you would have never thought you’d be in at that point in your life.  Some get their first minor in possession, some get DUIs or DWIs, some drop out because they didn’t take college seriously, and some take care of business and graduate with no blemishes on their record.

At that point in your life you find out how disciplined you are and what your priorities are in life, and from what I have seen this shapes who you may become as an adult.  So have fun in college but not too much fun.  Remember why you are there because it all can be taken from you in an instant.  God blessed you or your family for you to have the means to receive a higher education, don’t throw it away by drinking, partying, or not studying.  Also know that college isn’t just about learning things for a career, it’s about learning to take the ups and downs and move past them.  It’s also about bettering yourself by improving your critical thinking skills and social skills so you can find a good job and be a better person upon graduation. 

For those who go straight into working full-time out of high school, life is much different from those who go to college.  You tend to grow up quicker, get married sooner, and have kids earlier in life…but this is good because it doesn’t allow room for prolonged adolescence, for some.  Just know that life in general is tough, all those things you took for granted growing up in your mom and dad’s house is now your responsibility.  But also know the friendships you made and maintained will be there for you when you are at your lows.  So hold on to those precious few that you can trust, those individuals don’t come along often in life.  Also, live close to family starting out because you’ll find that you need them more often than you think. 

Those who graduated from college feel great and are looking for that dream job, but most of the time that is exactly what it is…a dream job.  Either you find what you want to do but the pay is too low, or you find a job that you would hate but the pay is great.  The other extreme is that no one will hire you because you have no experience.  What the heck?  You spend four years of your life and $40,000 to get a degree to find out it’s worthless, unless you are a teacher, coach, or in medical field.  For most majors, getting into a job usually requires some type of internship (no pay) or years of experience.  So you end up taking a job in a field that you didn’t even get your major in to only find out the people who went to work right out of high school make the same salary you do.  It can be frustrating because they do the same job you do and don’t have the student loans to repay, they are already ahead of you in life.

Know that between 21 and 25 years old you will probably work 2 or 3 different jobs.  Things will be tough and those $80K+ jobs you were promised right out of college was a great recruitment tool to get you to spend more money at the university for that 200 hour major and minor degree.  For me, it took me a long time to get to the salary I thought I deserved, and once I got there I wasn’t any happier.  Money doesn’t buy happiness, as the old saying goes, doing what your purpose in life does.  Most of the people I know who received their degree are working in different fields than what their degree is centered around.  This has even occurred in my life, I have an engineering degree and I work in marketing. 

So don’t worry if you don’t know what you want to do with your life.  A saying I heard long ago says it best, “Don’t worry if you don’t know what you want to do with your life, some of the most interesting 22 year olds I know didn’t know then, and some of the most interesting 40 year olds still don’t.”  Do what you feel you are being called to do and you can never go wrong, and never let money be the deciding factor.  Remember the race is long and at the end it’s usually only with yourself.

In conclusion, the first 25 years can fly by in an instant, so know that the next 25 will do the same thing.  Put God first, family second, and work third always.  You can always find a better job, but you can never remove the scars you put on your family by putting your job first.  Remember that your choices are half chance and so are everyone else’s, so don’t be too prideful it will only lead to your demise.  “Finally don’t worry, or know that worrying is about as useful as trying to chew bubble gum to solve an algebra equation.  The things you really need to worry about will never cross your worried little mind, like some car that broadsides you on some idle Tuesday.” – Baz Lurhman.  Enjoy what you have been blessed with and always give God the glory in all that you do.

To God always be the Glory!