Quarterlife Crisis in Pleasant Valley?

A good friend forwarded to me an article from today’s Globe and Mail called “Quarterlife Crisis: angst for a new generation.” Although I didn’t agree with all of it, it was an interesting read that got me thinking about my own situation and by extension that of my “twentysomething” peers. I would urge all, whether or not you’re an actual “twentysomething,” to give this article a read, if only to needlessly self-diagnose.

Below is a slightly altered version of my thoughts on the article that I sent back to my friend by email, which I’ve decided to post because it might be a good conversation starter among some of you who scan these pages and posts. Also, I’m too tired to write anything else today!

It seems to me that the "Boomer" generation is trying to articulate what has become an increasing trend among their children, namely their choice to defer taking the straight and narrow path in order to establish something more durable before they enter the "nitty gritty real world."

At times I found this article genuinely condescending, which is not surprising when dealing with a near-critical-mass of potential self-help material currently in book distribution warehouses waiting for this trend to take hold. Once again twentysomethings are being told they are deviant, having strayed from the well-worn paths already trod by their parents. I’ll concede that this is a fair point-of-view from a parent's perspective, but from the point-of-view of a twentysomething, I think there are greater issues at play. Why are we, as a generation, so politically disengaged? How can we spiritually/emotionally/psychologically sustain ourselves in a world driven by material measures of success, in which our skills are worth so much less in a hyper-competitive job market, and there is virtually no job-security to speak of? It's not just fear of a career mistake, but the near insurmountable obstacles that come between a recent graduate and a path to a career that has perhaps forced a rethink of what it is we mean to do with our talents and time. Options are often few and far between.

Until the reigning “Boomer” generation begins to ask more interesting questions of the twenty-something generation, instead of automatically framing us within "career-path" projections, the answers will remain somewhat useless because they will be truisms. I would love to know how anybody could now justify, as I once did, devoting $25,000 and five years to a degree in Drama, given the expectations placed on those of our generation? Something much more fundamental than "career options" was gained from my experience, but because it’s so much less clear-cut than “I can now do these jobs”, I find it very difficult to articulate just how I find myself where I do, what exactly I'll do next. Mind you, I’m all for more interesting questions…

Beyond being a "twenty-something," I believe that asking questions of yourself and your place in the world is a life-long pursuit, especially at the most profound levels. I remember something from my theatre training (you see, it was worth it!), a quote by world-acclaimed British theatre director Peter Brook that went something like: "every day I begin anew, and must start with all the hard and often confidence-shaking questions before the work begins; it is a vulnerable position, but a necessary one if the work is to succeed." I'll try to track down the actual quote, but you get the gist. I have, in a very real sense, lived by those words as best I can, and so far I think they've served me well.

Anyways, I always enjoy reading the perspective from the Globe as it helps its readership figure out their children, but in this case, at times, I felt my back get up a bit; but maybe that’s what 5 years of “liberal arts” does to a person. Or maybe I'm just in too deep to see my own blossoming quaterlife crisis...