FIRST YEARS

The life of a young adult is full of firsts, and as generic as they sound, we do not experience them in any generic way. First jobs (notice how it is plural), searching for that first (and only) serious relationship, the first time on our own, that first big (I need my mommy) mistake, the list could go on. It is the experience that makes them more than ordinary or timeless; the experience shapes who we become and how similar and different it is from the generations who have gone through firsts before us.

I do not anticipate meeting my husband at the sort of dances my grandmother frequented - the ones with a dance card, a golf pencil, and the approach of an unlikely suitor who becomes the love of my life. It is not likely that I will be in my first career-job for over twenty-five years like my father, though the next twenty-five years are a delightful mystery. Neither of these points should be news to you, but if they are, you should consider reading these posts as frequently as possible.

This is a cutting-edge, interconnected, highly vulnerable, and self-absorbed generation. We are required to navigate traditional suit-and-tie venues while keeping up with the latest technology in our field of interest (wonder why I am blogging right now?). Our networks are international, our interests are either highly specific or amorphus; we are constantly searching for a place that fits our interests and often coming up with 2,000,000 + hits on Google, but not much of a "place to hang your hat."

You will be looking through a window into the life of one twenty-five year old; gaining a glimpse of your child, employee, sister, or friend. Come with me through my first years and keep reading.