Being among the members who has travelled the path leading upto the "Mid-Life Crisis" and now a proud part of the motely xBhp crowd, I can second this whole heartedly.
The cronology of life is the following for most:
- Out of School, sometimes scared, sometimes tentative and sometimes raring to go and take on the world. So far we have been protected by family and we are ready to blossom. Regardless of what social or economic background we come from, this is universal.
- Into College, some freedom and possibly; a ride, be it a scooter or a bike, is now ours. We enjoy the limited freedom more than the ride and go through the motions of college life without realizing the importance of either.
- Out of College and into the work force, tentative, rearing to go and confused at times. With a higher degree of freedom than before, we get into this phase and soon, life becomes a rut. A rat race which is difficult to keep up with. We Ride but dont enjoy it, gone are the carefree days, of riding with the wind in our face. The same ride now feels like a chore and the bike which we so enjoyed when we got our hands on, becomes a means of getting "there", is soon forgotten, as we have graduated to a car. It lies rusting or is sold to the highest bidder.
- Most of us are married now, the pressures of raising children, keeping up with the Jones's and making ends meet gets to us and soon, childhood and the carefree youth is a distant memory. Some of us enjoy it, others rue it depending upon the degree of economic freedom we have achieved.
- When we transgress from being a twenty something to a still young but tired thirtyfive is something we do not realize. the transition from 25 to 35 happens in the blink of an eye. We are well off now but still engrossed in life as we say it. We still have dreams to achieve and more zero's to add to our bank balance. We go on, as an engine pumping like a sledge-hammer, and hit 40!
- 40's is the Old Age of Youth and the Youth of Old Age! Mid life crisis hits and hits hard sometime between late 30's and mid 40's. We are approaching 50 and judging by how time flies (look back, how many of us realize how we moved from 20's to 30's and 30's to 40's?). We re-analyze our life, we suddenly start missing the care-free youth, the wind in the face, the long bike rides, the car does not make sense anymore... we want freedom from it all and to an extent, we can afford it too!
- We cut loose with a vengence, a desire to live life before we are not able to! We want to renew our relationships with not only our loved ones, but the wind, the sea, the mountains, the beauty all around us and we want to do it in a compressed form before we hit the Middle Age of Old Age!
- In comes the bike again, it was the the symbol of freedom in our youth for most of us, and it is this symbol most of us revert to. Others would may take to other means but one fact is a constant - We all hit the mid-life crisis - in the face and Bang!
To all the young turks of xBhp, learn from this and make a resolve to enjoy your life NOW. Do not fall in the RUT and mark my words, even knowing it, you will find it difficult to achieve it. Know that you sure can fight your own destiny and work towards changing it... and HOPE FOR THE BEST!
and finally, where is the room to be reckless? We have it in our own hands to make our life beautiful or miserable, We have a choice and it reflects in how we do mundane things, from trying to be a Rossi and breaking our bones or jeopardizing other people's safety in the bargain? Be thoughtful, enjoy your life as it is ment to be enjoyed and while you do need to challenge your limitations at all times, do it without being reckless.
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Life is like riding a bike. It is impossible to maintain your balance while standing still.
Last edited by AnuragAshok; 02-18-2010 at 06:35 PM.
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