If I had to choose a theme song for my life, this might be it. I first heard it shortly after I turned 21 and it seemed to appear at just the right time for me. I've never been a big fan of the idea of "growing up", that there are certain things you have to do when you get to a certain age. I think that gets people into troublesome situations some times. I know my decision to get married in my twenties was partially influenced by the thought that this is just what you did when you were this age and had been with someone for a few years.
After my divorce, I was 28 when I moved across the country to start over. I went out drinking a lot, I had one night stands, I did things that I hadn't had a chance to do when I was younger because I was married. I especially loved this song at that time because I was older than my friends who were in this same phase and my friends who were older than me didn't fail to mention they thought I was getting a bit old for this sort of thing.
Here I am at 35, unmarried, no kids, I play roller derby and I let my tattoos show. I feel young. Then I hang around people who are 10 years younger than me and I think Nope, I'm not that young anymore. Once I hit 31 or so, I really started to feel comfortable with my age. A lot of struggle is behind me, trying to figure out who I am and trying to impress people who don't matter.
I listen to this song almost every time I run. A) I like to imagine myself running naked like in the video and B) It reminds me that being silly and making mistakes is okay. My favorite line is near the end "With many years ahead to fall in line, why would you wish that on me?" because that's what I thought when people were looking down on me a few years ago. Why do you want me to be different and not have these experiences? Just because you didn't? Or because women my age "shouldn't"? Needless to say, most of those people aren't in my life anymore. The people who understood what I was going through and supported me, who loved me even when I made poor choices, those are the people who are still around me. And they probably like this song as much as I do!
YOU NAILED IT AGAIN with this one!!!
ReplyDeleteOur similarly parallel lives are ALL OVER this one!!!
I too felt the "pressure (?)" to get/be married by the age of 25. The thought/concept of a long marriage, being a young mom, etc. It was all an unwritten, unspoken "pressure." (The ? exists because I didn't have anyone actually TELL me I needed to be married, I just felt it.)
I was engaged to be married at the age of 25, wedding scheduled a month before I turned 26..."omg, I'm making deadline by one month!"
Haha. Thankfully, that relationship fell apart one month before the wedding date.
I had several months of what my friends and family consider "self-deprecating" behavior -- although, I didn't view it as such. ;)
This song is SUCH ... SUCH! a fun, upbeat, "yeah anyway!!!" kind of song. It makes me smile, sing, and dance!!
This song and Lit's "Own Worst Enemy"... perfectly suited for my mid late 20's. LOL!
We are such intensely social creatures that the innate desire to "conform" seems to be hard wired into us. However, "conforming to the norm" causes so much angst to those of us with gypsy tendencies, yet "society" frowns down upon that whole gypsy way of living. Hmmm. Perhaps the sweet spot in life is to figure out how to be a stay at home gypsy? (I'm working on it.) If you or your readers figure it out before I do, please share. Until then, I'm going to be early, and I hope to dream about partying all night...
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