The "Wonder" years

Ever wondered why is it that the teenage years were called 'THE WONDER YEARS'...when actually we don't really spend too much of our teen lives wondering..we mostly spend those years making horrific mistakes which we regret, try not to recall and 'wonder' about in our tweens.

The life of a twenty-something is much harder than a teen's.Its a time when you are no longer as stupid as you were, or maybe you are..you just have no excuse for it now.Its as if you have been stripped of the title of 'teenager' and with it have gone the perks like bumbling idiotic acts,lack of judgement,irresponsibility and the ever so desirable "I give a damn" attitude. Its a time during which one becomes more of a spectator in life, resorts to retrospection.Too afraid to commit mistakes themselves anymore, people try to learn through others.Though you may get a big kick out of watching foolish acts committed by those who still haven't learnt the tricks of survival in the tweens, the realization that some others have already learnt the tricks, and have attained complete mastery in them, leaving you looking like the idiotic novice whom everyone ignores...is able to cause long lasting misery.

The adaption process is long and painful..can be likened to baking a perfect apple pie.While some struggle to get the ingredients in place..others get tired mid way and leave it half baked.Of course, to make you feel miniscule, there are always those god sent hateful souls who cast u pitiful looks and gloat over the golden crusted creation.The outcome may be full of shocks and surprises.Snottiness, isolation,travelling,'meaningful' movies,unherad-of clubs, multi-coloured hair, biker weekeneds,spiritual awakening and a liking for all mystic things, however ridiculous they may be...experimentations with alternative lifestyle, and reading some of the most god-foresaken books, all as a part of the 'self discovery' process.

It is a time when you are legally allowed to drink..so of course after a while, it just loses its overrated value.No more of those 'sneak-away-and-drink' nights.We try being sophisticated about drinking,and conscious of our dietary needs..all as a part of the tween package.And while we all try to trick ourselves into thinking that we've grown up, that there's another dimension to our personalities now, the truth is we never really do.Here's some of the things that people always think about but rarely divulge...

*When do I have sex next??
*What the hell am I doing!???
*Where am I going with my life!?!
*Am I the only one without a life?
*Am I the only one who is not getting married?
*What the hell was I thinking saying "yes" to marriage!??!??
*Can I be in love with two people at once?
*Am I the only one who does not know what the f*** they talk about at work??
*When is Friday coming along?
*Do I really HAVE to work out?
*Does anybody know I'm sneaking free drinks away from work?
*Has my life come to such a point that THIS is what I'm thinking of?
*Does there have to be a Monday after a Sunday?
*Is there someway we can work around the "Don't drink and drive" rule?
*Is it true that men are from Mars and Women are from Venus?
*Would I be alienated if I admit to still listening to teen pop???
*Who says Harry Potter is for kids??
*Could I really be preferring cherry flavoured Coke to beer!??!??
*Do they know I am watching the game in my cubicle?
*When is the next free breakfast/lunch/anything...?
*Will I get up in time for work?
*Am I losing a day of my life each day that I work?
*Have the rules of courtship changed?
*Have I aged instantaneously??
*If I walk in in a Hawaii shirt will people stare?
*Do I have to wear a tie???
*Wonder how I can take off without my manager noticing!
*How much time before they realize I know nothing?
*How much time before I understand something?
*How much time to go for 5 o'clock?
*How much time before I hit the ill fated 30's?
*Whatz the time!???
*How many weeks before I have some real plans for the weekend?
*How many days more can I go on without doing the laundry?
*Has life in the 20's lost its glamour?
*Is it still okay to think that video games are the coolest thing on this planet?
*Is it still okay to enjoy jumping up and down on the bed???
*Is it okay to sleep with a teddy bear in bed!!??
*Am I still only 'OK' in bed!???
*Is this who I really am?


And..
WHEN DO I GET TO HAVE SEX!??!

There's a part of us we leave behind; a safe haven we often retreat to.. because the bygone insecurities instill a false sense of security in present day, and it makes us feel good about ourselves,and gives us hope that we may actually be able to make it.And yet unknowingly..we try to rid ourselves of this haven, because we think its time to move on.But I wonder..why on earth would we want to do that??Surrounded by bitchiness, back stabbing, fierce competition,politics, and a complete lack of understanding about who we really are...one is more likely to go over the cliff than under it.So perhaps we should unashamedly save this part of us, maybe it will be the only innocent, innocuous and pure part of us that will save us in years to come...

Growing old is mandatory..growing up is optional