The age of non-dreadlocks.
I know I'm getting old when I see dreadlocks on an older man and think Eugh
Now I have wanted dreadlocks for the longest time. In fact, just last year (CNY 2008), I still thought dreadlocks was 'cool' (do people still say that?) and I wanted the same ones as Newton Faulkner's. Cool, hippie, bohemian VOLUME.
Today, being behind this (possibly) rocker uncle with VOLUMIOUS dreadlocks and some rastapasta accessories woven in, i just thought, 'wow what a hassle. must be a pain to wash. doesn't look too practical'. Yes, I sound like mum. I even tell the kids that I assess nowadays to make sure they wash their hands with soap when they go to the toilet, and make them use a towellete to ensure their hands are dry.
P keeps reminding us that we're not old. We're just 'refined'. We look down on torn tight bum-crack-baring jeans, short skirts, truckers caps, 'today's noisy bad music and R&B nonmusic', queueing up for the latest freebie/club etc...and prefer quieter places with live jazz, quality breakfasts, professional clothes and thinking films.
I do feel a little older, a little wiser. And even a little calmer (not longer the angsty emotional teenager who listened to Avril Lavigne and thought no one understood). But unfortunately, not more prepared for handling new tricky situations. Like work stress. Which is unlike self-induced academic work stress. Work stress has been a big boo boo in my life lately. Been tired, agitated/snappy and rather demotivated. Perpetually waiting for my next holiday (which incidentally is this Thursday, yippeee!). But is this normal? Or is it a case of work depression? Case in mind : I have a colleague who just recently went on long medical leave. We can only speculate that it's depression or anorexia. Or both. And from the comments she leaves on our msns, it's work-related. Is this what happens when you approach 30? Our badgered neurotransmitters give in and we pick up some mental conditions along the way? Is this why older folk sometimes seem Jaded?
What about other new, possibly equally stressful unforeseen life challenges? Like being bored, isolated and not being able to make friends easily as in school. Like figuring out what you really want and how to get it. Like prepping yourself to deal with the fact that your live-in boyfriend is going off to volunteer in Palestine for 2 months next year. I feel so unprepared and overwhelmed sometimes I can't even make a minor decision like where to eat. Or whether I want to go to Botanical Gardens or not. I just vegetate with my brainless magazines and eat loaves of Jap milk bread instead!
Growing up and getting old is not nice. Not at this juncture anyways. Somehow it seems to get uglier. Not so much physically (although i must say, my forehead seems to be less elastic-y and less dewy lately...), but mostly mentally. What happened to the ROCKING 20s that I looked forward to? Where you're young and free and you have the time of your life that you tell your bored grandchildren about? I always thought life would always be peachy and will turn out okay in the end (if it doesn't turn out the way I want it to). I hope I still believe that. I'm just not liking the transition phase before the peachiness. And I hope I still have it in me to cope with things if they don't turn out peachy in the end. Or not as peachy.
Note to self : Need to stop buying advert-loaded superficial fashion mags like Female and Bazaar. It's rubbish. Lots of pics, adverts and non articles (although i should've known better than to expect much from mags for rich housewives and LV-loving young executives). Maybe it's time to make Her World, Women's Weekly and Marie Claire magazines my staple instead. The older... *more refined* magazines. Or I could just opt to mature completely and appear intellectual by hiding behind brainy magazines.
Like The Economist. The Psychologist. Time. and Weekly Medical Reviews.
I think I have officially reached a loss-of-age-persona quarter life crisis.
Now I have wanted dreadlocks for the longest time. In fact, just last year (CNY 2008), I still thought dreadlocks was 'cool' (do people still say that?) and I wanted the same ones as Newton Faulkner's. Cool, hippie, bohemian VOLUME.
Today, being behind this (possibly) rocker uncle with VOLUMIOUS dreadlocks and some rastapasta accessories woven in, i just thought, 'wow what a hassle. must be a pain to wash. doesn't look too practical'. Yes, I sound like mum. I even tell the kids that I assess nowadays to make sure they wash their hands with soap when they go to the toilet, and make them use a towellete to ensure their hands are dry.
P keeps reminding us that we're not old. We're just 'refined'. We look down on torn tight bum-crack-baring jeans, short skirts, truckers caps, 'today's noisy bad music and R&B nonmusic', queueing up for the latest freebie/club etc...and prefer quieter places with live jazz, quality breakfasts, professional clothes and thinking films.
I do feel a little older, a little wiser. And even a little calmer (not longer the angsty emotional teenager who listened to Avril Lavigne and thought no one understood). But unfortunately, not more prepared for handling new tricky situations. Like work stress. Which is unlike self-induced academic work stress. Work stress has been a big boo boo in my life lately. Been tired, agitated/snappy and rather demotivated. Perpetually waiting for my next holiday (which incidentally is this Thursday, yippeee!). But is this normal? Or is it a case of work depression? Case in mind : I have a colleague who just recently went on long medical leave. We can only speculate that it's depression or anorexia. Or both. And from the comments she leaves on our msns, it's work-related. Is this what happens when you approach 30? Our badgered neurotransmitters give in and we pick up some mental conditions along the way? Is this why older folk sometimes seem Jaded?
What about other new, possibly equally stressful unforeseen life challenges? Like being bored, isolated and not being able to make friends easily as in school. Like figuring out what you really want and how to get it. Like prepping yourself to deal with the fact that your live-in boyfriend is going off to volunteer in Palestine for 2 months next year. I feel so unprepared and overwhelmed sometimes I can't even make a minor decision like where to eat. Or whether I want to go to Botanical Gardens or not. I just vegetate with my brainless magazines and eat loaves of Jap milk bread instead!
Growing up and getting old is not nice. Not at this juncture anyways. Somehow it seems to get uglier. Not so much physically (although i must say, my forehead seems to be less elastic-y and less dewy lately...), but mostly mentally. What happened to the ROCKING 20s that I looked forward to? Where you're young and free and you have the time of your life that you tell your bored grandchildren about? I always thought life would always be peachy and will turn out okay in the end (if it doesn't turn out the way I want it to). I hope I still believe that. I'm just not liking the transition phase before the peachiness. And I hope I still have it in me to cope with things if they don't turn out peachy in the end. Or not as peachy.
Note to self : Need to stop buying advert-loaded superficial fashion mags like Female and Bazaar. It's rubbish. Lots of pics, adverts and non articles (although i should've known better than to expect much from mags for rich housewives and LV-loving young executives). Maybe it's time to make Her World, Women's Weekly and Marie Claire magazines my staple instead. The older... *more refined* magazines. Or I could just opt to mature completely and appear intellectual by hiding behind brainy magazines.
Like The Economist. The Psychologist. Time. and Weekly Medical Reviews.
I think I have officially reached a loss-of-age-persona quarter life crisis.
posted by shuey @ 19:05
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