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Actually, I'm in my mid 20's and I think I'm experiencing my biggest loss of innocence now or at least over the last couple of years. For example I lost my first real job this spring in a lay off. I had a Director look me in the eye and tell me he felt my roll in the company was very important. A week later I was escorted out of the building by security because my position had been eliminated. Turns out this Director was way over budget and trying to save his own ass... Only to get fired a month after I was let go.
A couple of months before that I was arrested for the first and hopefully only time in my life. Rather not go into the story.
The other setbacks have been smaller but still rather real. Anyway, I'm finding that the real world out of college is a bigger, meaner, colder place than I ever would have believed. Everything isn't coming together the way it was supposed to I'm not where I always thought I'd be. I'm up to my ears in student loans and credit card debt. My entry level salaries don't buy the life I'd like to live.. or even close. I think this is commonly referred to as the quarter life crisis and that I'm not alone in this. Still... it sure does suck.
Anyway, my whole point is that there is no one moment that signifies a loss of innocence. It's not something you'll get through in high school or college or just beyond and move on from. It's an ongoing process throughout our lives as we suffer little indignities every day, week and year. Oh well. I truly believe that I learn something new every day of my life. As long as I keep learning those lessons I'll grow progressively less innocent but hopefully a whole lot stronger!
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