Had heard about Mid life crisis earlier, a much discussed topic it has been for quite some time now. I had never really understood what this is, and to tell the truth never actually cared. Few days back, came across some forward message from a friend of mine about 'Quarter life crisis'. Just scanned that mail, as I rarely read forwards these days (too busy and too old for that ). Suddenly this crisis in life, started to make sense; Mid or Quarter. All that is not good and confusing in life can be named it as a crisis.. Quarter life crisis. And it applies to most of twenty something people across the world.

This is how it all starts; You are out of college, and managed to find a decent (or nor so decent job). Earn enough that you do not have to ask Dad for your expenses, and may be you can spend some of it on your hobby and other interests; something that you had always wanted to do.. but it was too much to ask Dad for, or it was just your self esteem. You would have moved out of your parent's house now, and staying alone or with friends. Now you can stay out till late nights; late night movies, pubs, bars ...you can afford those all. You can do almost what you want to, without seeking someone's permission. This is the first taste of freedom; in all possible ways that you could think of. Sadly this top of the world feeling does not last for longer.. some time (months.. years..it depends) later you start sinking into this so called crisis in life.

Life: You start seeking the answers of questions that life throws at you, actually life has always been, you just come to notice about it now. What am I going to do with my life; anything good and meaningful or would I end up doing: eat, sleep, breed and die like any other species in the planet. There is an shadowing worry; time is getting out of your hand..would it be too late by the time you realize what you really wanted to do.

Love: Gradually all the crushes, flings, one night stands seem meaningless. And you seem to yearn for that single person with whom you can grow old. All of a sudden there is room for compromise. And if you already have a boyfriend/girlfriend, there would be times where you are pounded with questions from inside, there would be glitches.. did I make the right choice? Is this what I really wanted?

Family: At this point you start realizing the responsibilities in a family, so far it has been just the love compassion and care . Its no more take, take and take..its time to give back. Your parents, your siblings, and your relatives start expecting from you. And you can probably put up with that, with little bit of effort. But there is a more serious matter to be taken care. You have to start your own family now. For which you can really barely make up your mind; the money is not enough, I am not mature enough, what if things do not work out so well with my life partner.

Friends: You would stand on your balcony and feel kind of friendless staring at the dimly lit sky. It's not that you do not talk once in a while, or have occasional get-togethers to celebrate the big events in your lives. But you do not hang out everyday, do not share the crush you had on that cute girl at work (until it becomes serious), or discuss about possibility of a fifth dimension, your plans in life, the last good movie you watched with beer bottles in hand, during a night out at a friends place (of course when parents are out of town). You know your friends are there for you, you can always call them in the middle of
night and they would come to you if need there be. But somehow you have become distant, left all your friend behind and become lonely. The distance could be physical or its just that you had been busy for no apparent reason you can think of (work?) and so are they. And the new people you meet, you can manage to make acquaintances, not friends.

Job: Now this is the worst of all. The job you are in is not even remotely close to what you had planned for, when you were in college. You slog for extra hours, are not happy with your unreasonable boss, and there is no learning and growth. The work is monotonous, the atmosphere is sterile, the attitude of
people around is barely professional. You look for better opportunity and switch your job and later realize that the opportunity is just a better salary; the work, the workplace, your colleagues are almost the same everywhere.

Is there is a solution for this Quarter life crisis? Well..this is another of life's unsolvable questions. Seeking the answer would not suffice, basically there would be no one to enlighten you. You would have to discover the answer, and sadly enough one has to find their own answers. I did not find mine yet.....still looking.