Quarter-life

I remember my 25th birthday. I'm already in my 3rd company in 4 years of working, and have enjoyed being quite the Makati yuppie that I was then. Smashing, really, except for the quarter-life crisis that everyone at that age was going through.



Now that I look back, I wanted to be twenty-five forever. It is the best time of every girl's life. Not too young, but not too old. Not inexperienced, yet still innocent in a lot of ways. Not naive, but never too cynical. Turning 26 was the probably second to the most difficult time a woman is going to have. It is second only to turning 30, and still a Singleton. The distance between 26 and 25 is like the distance between New York and the Far East. Once you're 26, you became cynical, cannot pretend to be innocent, too old for the 24-year-old man, being paired with the 37-year-old man, and already a candidate for earning a certificate on being an old maid.



In celebration of my sister's 25th birthday today, here are the 10 best things about being 25:



1. You can be a drama queen and don't have to worry that you're too old for that stuff.



2. You can question your existence, achievements and ask where-am-I-going questions, and it is just okay because everyone is going through the same crisis.



3. You can take your time in choosing between the guy who loves you and the guy you love without your parents worrying if they'll ever get a grandchild from you.



4. You can act coy and innocent and it will still be considered cute. But beware the next year because it will already be otherwise.



5. You can spend all your money on yourself without a care in the world. Go to the spa every month. Travel to Boracay with your friends. And spend a P500 lunch with your officemates. It's okay. You're just being...25.



6. You can wear trendy clothes and you will still be admired and looked upon as trendy and not 'trying hard'.



7. You can forget about being carefree and be careful and plan for the future and it will still be all right. Remember, you can do anything when you're 25.



8. You can stay up all night with friends, whether it is just coffee, movie, dinner or party, and not worry about lines appearing on your face. People nearing 30 (i.e. me!) should already take care of their skin conscientiously.



9. Be paired with guys who're 20 to 30. It’s the perfect age to choose whether you want a guy younger than you are, or older than you are. At 26, you're guy age range go up to 26 - 35. Believe me, it’s not for girls like me who like younger looking guys. Except if they look like those Hollywood stars that looks like 10 years younger than their age. But I'm digressing...



10. Last but not the least; it's a whole 5 years more before you turn 30. You more time to get your life in order before the big three oh.



But hey, what's with being 30, right? No big deal. (Yeah, right. Sooner or later, I can convince myself). No, really, it's not that big a deal. Especially since enjoying your life and living it to the fullest does not require any ID or birth certificate, asking you what your age is. You just got to do it, whatever age you're in. Grab life with both hands, and enjoy the ride, whether you're 25 or 45.



Hmmm, but I'm still wistful about being 25 again.



HAPPY 25th BIRTHDAY, SIS!