Turning 25
25 years. To the aged and more experienced, that's not too significant a landmark but when that's the maximum number of years you've been alive, it feels like a big deal. Once you're 25, you're officially "old", especially in the 21st century. Here's a short version of how it has been for me...
Turning 25 feels kinda sucky to be honest. I've often felt like an old person in terms of my thought process but now I feel like my body is catching up to it. At this point, the worries about the future start hitting you way harder than at 24, for no logical reason. It's like going from young interesting prospect to being expectedly stupid and boring. At 25 in India, if you're not pursuing an MBA, a masters degree, a start-up idea, a big salary hike or a marriage prospect, people find it hard to understand you. But if you're a male, nobody really cares. Because at 25, to the society, you become perfectly average. While that's not a damaging label, it sure as hell is an annoying one, especially since my experiences and learnings are hard to jot down on a piece of paper in an interview.
I finished school 7 years ago, college 4 years ago and have managed to hold a steady job for the past year. Since 2015, I've lived and worked in two cities other than NCR for around 10-11 months at a time. In the two years I've been back, I spent a year without employment before finally finding the kind of job I'd been holding out for. In that time without a routine and in between all the internal struggles of mind and soul, I managed to dedicate my time and energy to my automotive blog. It's a lot more frequent than this one, but it's easier to write about cars than about myself.
The Good Stuff
Things have been good for a while now. It's not perfect, there have been a fair share of rough patches, but overall I'd say I've had a pretty good year. *touches wood to not jinx it* I have a line of credit, I have new assets and I have a steady income from doing work that I don't hate. My list of friends remains short and my participation in social occasions even less. But I do get out, explore, enjoy new tastes, often in the lovely company of my lady. I have also acquired the expensive hobby of collecting scale models. I started with a 1:18 Formula E diecast model that I won as a fan and then bought a 1:24 model before moving up to 1:18 again. The problem? The 1:18 scale models are expensive, especially when you realise how good the top-end diecast scale models are. I plan to showcase my collection on The Auto Loons Youtube channel soon enough.
Not So Good Stuff
Now for the down side as I turn 25. I'm nowhere closer to narrowing down a means to move out of this country. I'm no richer than before and not much smarter either. I haven't quite made the move towards independence that I had hoped for, but I do enjoy the stress-free life as of now. The body is in desperate need of a healthy lifestyle and this is when I'm still in my prime(technically). In terms of my other hobbies, I have put music on an extended hold while my passion for the open road has become a bit of a dream. Not because I don't have a car but because the roads around me are a pain to drive on and the government policies favour the mentally retarded drivers rather than those who have the sense to do a good job of driving without causing an incident.
The steady job I have is more-than-likely a dead-end and I don't see an alternative career path that would allow me to monetize that which I'd like to do. It pains me to admit, but there is little to no audience for my version of entertaining, genuine and humourous automotive content with no known support from the carmakers either. Think Top Gear UK, Autocar UK, carwow, SeenThroughGlass, CarThrottle,Vehicle Virgins etc.
What's New At 25?
But let's bring it back into the positives. I am now of legal drinking age in my city so no venue can deny me a refreshing beverage in that respect. The assets I have acquired will last me for the next 5 years at least and will help me increase my productivity and creative output. While my extra curricular content has been on hold for a while, I do intend to pick it up again in a more organized manner that makes it sustainable despite the heavy work loads. As I turn older, I also step closer to a future that I really desire. I have had a few missteps in my way but I'm doing better overall than I have at any point since 2015.
Looking Forward
When I was in high-school, I felt that I might not even make it to 25. My dislike for people and our society has been established since an early age. I also tend to chase the adrenaline rush, sometimes with stupid thrill-seeking actions. But here I am. My armour is not without wear and dents, things are not perfect. But things are looking up and I have plenty to look forward to, goals to accomplish, dreams to fulfill and a home to build.
I may be officially old, but I'm only just getting started. The Sane Lunatic isn't going anywhere.
Turning 25 feels kinda sucky to be honest. I've often felt like an old person in terms of my thought process but now I feel like my body is catching up to it. At this point, the worries about the future start hitting you way harder than at 24, for no logical reason. It's like going from young interesting prospect to being expectedly stupid and boring. At 25 in India, if you're not pursuing an MBA, a masters degree, a start-up idea, a big salary hike or a marriage prospect, people find it hard to understand you. But if you're a male, nobody really cares. Because at 25, to the society, you become perfectly average. While that's not a damaging label, it sure as hell is an annoying one, especially since my experiences and learnings are hard to jot down on a piece of paper in an interview.
I finished school 7 years ago, college 4 years ago and have managed to hold a steady job for the past year. Since 2015, I've lived and worked in two cities other than NCR for around 10-11 months at a time. In the two years I've been back, I spent a year without employment before finally finding the kind of job I'd been holding out for. In that time without a routine and in between all the internal struggles of mind and soul, I managed to dedicate my time and energy to my automotive blog. It's a lot more frequent than this one, but it's easier to write about cars than about myself.
The Good Stuff
Things have been good for a while now. It's not perfect, there have been a fair share of rough patches, but overall I'd say I've had a pretty good year. *touches wood to not jinx it* I have a line of credit, I have new assets and I have a steady income from doing work that I don't hate. My list of friends remains short and my participation in social occasions even less. But I do get out, explore, enjoy new tastes, often in the lovely company of my lady. I have also acquired the expensive hobby of collecting scale models. I started with a 1:18 Formula E diecast model that I won as a fan and then bought a 1:24 model before moving up to 1:18 again. The problem? The 1:18 scale models are expensive, especially when you realise how good the top-end diecast scale models are. I plan to showcase my collection on The Auto Loons Youtube channel soon enough.
Not So Good Stuff
Now for the down side as I turn 25. I'm nowhere closer to narrowing down a means to move out of this country. I'm no richer than before and not much smarter either. I haven't quite made the move towards independence that I had hoped for, but I do enjoy the stress-free life as of now. The body is in desperate need of a healthy lifestyle and this is when I'm still in my prime(technically). In terms of my other hobbies, I have put music on an extended hold while my passion for the open road has become a bit of a dream. Not because I don't have a car but because the roads around me are a pain to drive on and the government policies favour the mentally retarded drivers rather than those who have the sense to do a good job of driving without causing an incident.
The steady job I have is more-than-likely a dead-end and I don't see an alternative career path that would allow me to monetize that which I'd like to do. It pains me to admit, but there is little to no audience for my version of entertaining, genuine and humourous automotive content with no known support from the carmakers either. Think Top Gear UK, Autocar UK, carwow, SeenThroughGlass, CarThrottle,Vehicle Virgins etc.
What's New At 25?
But let's bring it back into the positives. I am now of legal drinking age in my city so no venue can deny me a refreshing beverage in that respect. The assets I have acquired will last me for the next 5 years at least and will help me increase my productivity and creative output. While my extra curricular content has been on hold for a while, I do intend to pick it up again in a more organized manner that makes it sustainable despite the heavy work loads. As I turn older, I also step closer to a future that I really desire. I have had a few missteps in my way but I'm doing better overall than I have at any point since 2015.
Looking Forward
When I was in high-school, I felt that I might not even make it to 25. My dislike for people and our society has been established since an early age. I also tend to chase the adrenaline rush, sometimes with stupid thrill-seeking actions. But here I am. My armour is not without wear and dents, things are not perfect. But things are looking up and I have plenty to look forward to, goals to accomplish, dreams to fulfill and a home to build.
I may be officially old, but I'm only just getting started. The Sane Lunatic isn't going anywhere.
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