The Best

Last night I had a very random revelation - for almost every era of your life, there is someone who will tell you they are your "best years". Which made me wonder why they felt so, and if there are so many differing opinions, is any of them truly the best.

High School - High school is often considered the best years of your life because it is a time when you are young, carefree, and most definitely curious. It is a chance to make memories and build friendships without having to shoulder any responsibilities. Or so they say.

But these days high school involves a lot of work, at least if you plan on attending college. It also involves growing up and making mistakes. Most importantly, I think high school is our least permanent time. We don't tend to keep our HS friends, or stay in our home town. Many of us will move up or down on the social ladder. Our favorite music at the time often doesn't last with us by the time we are 30 (this is opposed to our favorite things from childhood, which often stick with us due to stronger nostalgia). High school is an important time for growing up, but the years later are when we will learn more pertinent life lessons, and when more important goals can be achieved. I often feel that those who miss their HS days are the folks who peaked at that time, and have struggled to make something of themselves ever since.

College - this is another time without full responsibilities, with the added benefit of often leaving home for the first time, as well as the eventual ability to drink. Unlike high school, this is the time where one can fully take advantage of the wonders of youth.

Looking back, I have great memories of college, but I still wouldn't call it the very best of times. The problem with this period is that the experience is different for everyone. Some of us go in with mom and dad footing the bill, and can take more than four years in order to dick around with a liberal arts degree. Others have student loans to pay, and absolutely need a job after gradtuation. What your situation is will largely affect how much of your college years are filled with work or play, and the kind of school you go to will also have a great impact on what you end up doing. College is far more important than secondary school in regards to one coming of age, but it can be a bumpy road.

Post college - this is the time in which I find myself in right now, and in a lot of ways it is fantastic. I have money to spend, and no one to look after but myself. This is the time wherein one can bask in luxuries that one cannot have while raising a family, as well as a chance to maximize your free time with activities that are a bit more active than staying around at home all the time. But I find that this is only half of the picture. All that money still comes from a job, one that may or may not involve a lot of hard work and long hours. Often I find myself unwilling to leave the house on the weekends due to fatigue, nor do I have the ability to stay up until the wee hours of the morning. This is when real life kicks in, and that means you have responsibilities which cannot be avoided. I think that those of us in this age group are acting out on the last dredges of immaturity, trying to recapture the excesses of college in a time when they should be coming to a halt. We don't want to become old and boring, but we also fail to accept why it is that people become old and boring. Here's a hint: it is a good way to get through life.

Old Age - This time is supposed to be for when you are retired, and can finally sit back and worry about nothing but yourself.

I haven't reached this point yet, but I imagine that whether or not it is the best time of your life depends on your health. And wether or not all your hard work led to a position in which you can tackle all those things you never had time to do. Otherwise....I'd rather not think of otherwise.

Lastly, I wonder if maybe the best time of our life isn't middle age. Sure, we regret what we missed out on, and regret having to continue to do so. But it is also a time during which we have learned enough to prevent making the mistakes of youth, and when we still have enough years to complete a goal. It all depends on whether or not one is willing to start striving for something again. I'll guess I will know in about ten years.