I remember sitting in the library at OLMC copying homework and studying for Mr. Humphreys obligatory science quiz. Those sucked! Then came 26, 27 and now 28- barf. I do my fare share of complaining that I am old. I definitely feel it when I pull an all niter and NEED to sleep all day Sunday in order to make my 5am wake up call Monday morning for my 10 hour work day.
I recently received a whole LOT of news...Juicy news- that I will keep to myself, 1. because this is about me and 2. because I dont want my friends to get pissy at my big mouth. After receiving possibly the fourth biggest piece of news in the past month, I decided I needed to get a little wild. I was racing my fingertips to find something, new, refreshing, brown out worthy, painful, NEWS WORTHY. I had a lot of thoughts; tattoos, piercings, booking a trip, getting the tummy tuck that I have been salivating over. SO what happened? Me and the best decided to take a gander at crazy ole Target. I picked up razors, and single cup coffees. Not exactly the invigorating Saturday night I envisioned but I did need coffee and razors because I was going to the lake on Sunday. In my defense I had downed two helpings of mucinex and Robitussin DM to fight the nasty fever/ flu I had picked up from someone during the week. I didn't care though, 101 temp and puke face had nothing on me. I was going to get out of the house and out of bed.
In general, the topics of what has been going on has somewhat surrounded the fact that we are getting older and older and older. Surprise surprise- every year you get older. All this juicy news contained crazy situations that I found my self being a little envious of...nothing that I would particularly choose for myself but these were headline making stories. It has me thinking that all this freaking out is because those of us born in 83 and 84 are nearing the dreaded number 30. Some of my best memories were from 14 years old and when I think back, that was almost 12 years ago. Manilla Folder that was a long time ago.
In an early attempt to beat my families gobble neck curse, I have been religiously injecting my age lines and wrinkles with botox for the past 3 years now and I am on the verge to getting these smile lines and more done. It seems that each of my friends have been presenting themselves special birthday treats, from botox to atv's to vacations and a whole lot more. In an attempt for our older generation to pull our heads out of the sand, we get lectured. I have been lectured so much these past two weeks.
I am an adult 27 years 9 months and a few days like 20 or something, and I am getting lectured. About what you wonder? Well let me tell you. My life choices. Not my professional life choices but my personal life choices. I am not married, I do not have children, I choose not to mow my lawn, and my dishes are not cleaned at every second of everyday. Oh yea, and in the instant that I mentioned getting my lips plumped full of Restilin, the emails came rolling in from all the ladies in the family and friends. A big DONT DO IT! It almost makes me want to do it, just to spite the rest. Who cares if I have fish lips. Right?!
During one of my lectures, I started to cry. I thought I had this world pretty much figured out. Work hard, play harder, 10 hours a day will most definitely put you in bed by 8pm, and partying with your 24 year old brother will only lead to a headache and embarrassment. I have discovered its not such a cool feeling when your brother tries to pimp you out.
I often wonder if the saying is true: "You are only as old as you feel." Well if this is the case; I am 65. It takes me awhile to walk straight when I wake up in the morning, if I sit down, I will most likely fall asleep in 5 minutes, and I find myself using the term "those kids" for anyone under 25.
I promised myself, when I came home from school, I would not get in bed when I got home. I would do something every afternoon to give back or contribute or to let the world know- My name is Lauren and I am here. I would not lay in bed all weekend every weekend and watch reruns of "flipping out" and "say yes to the dress". Well that became half true. I do spend a lot of time in bed but it is spent "pinning" I stare at my computer and find super cute things online and pin them. Its addicting. I spend the other half of my time looking up tummy tucks online and the rest of it asleep.
One day you wake up and say this is my life. I work, I play and I sleep and somewhere in the middle, I find time to do the dishes, see my friends and gawk at the latest bit of news.
I attended an appointment with a friend today and decided to have a side consultation for a tummy tuck. Now this isn't completely spontaneous, I have been thinking about this for 3 years. After looking at pictures and salivating over these pre skinny women's even flatter tummy - I did something I didn't think I would. Instead of making an appointment for a real consultation, I said thanks and walked out. Besides the fact that you need at least two weeks off of work, about 12K, and can't sit right for a few weeks, I am totally down for this. Another thing that bothered me was when looking at all these pictures, I mentioned that these ladies were already thin. When I mentioned I have lost over 100 lbs, The girl replied "Oh my. Yea a lot of patients come in here after gastric bi- pass or other weight loss solutions." I looked at her and replied, "I did it with diet and exercise." Stunned. She looked stunned, now please I am defiantly not the marshmallow man, but I do not look like a gastric bi pass patient- no offense to them but I am proud of the way I lost this weight.
I just always assumed at 28 life would be figured out, married, career, kids, range rover, white picket fence. But life happens and crap gets thrown into the mix that you would never expect. I don't know if it is my group or my age in general but I was explaining to a friend, that when you have one aspect of your life perfect, for instance, your career and the other lets say your love life, isn't there it is way off balance. Its like you have two scales and to get them to sit at the same height, you have to have the same amount of weight on there. Until you find a balance, you wont be happy. I think it is why women get jealous of those who are married and with a career, they seem to have it all- the "perfect life". I also pointed out that most of the people we knew who were married before 25 and have had children are miserable. We shared a laugh and she agreed.
As I approach 28, I have come to even more conclusions. DO what you want. Have a plan and save your money. If you want to get a Tummy tuck or implants or fish lips or rid of your elevens- go for it. If you want to own a business, do it, have a baby?- Educate yourself and prepare the best you can...It's only fair to the life you are bringing into this world. Wanna sing at open night mic? well I hope you are not tone deaf. And if you want to wait on a phone call, for someone to tell you why they suck...please stop waiting because you deserve SO much more in this world. I know its cliche but if you could only see yourself how others see you, then you would be unstoppable. Please do not let others write your story. Expectations are made to be broken and goals are made to be surpassed. There are a million stars in the sky and if you reach high enough, you can hold one in your hands BUT be sure to share it because just like a flame, if you hold it to closely, it will suffocate and lose its light.
I hope to embrace 28 and its going to start with a Vegas birthday. Just decided.
