The Alarm Clock

The worst kind of alarm clock is the kind that starts out ringing quietly then gets progressively louder and louder if you don't turn it off, until it reaches a shrill, uncomfortable decibel level. I hate the build up. I prefer to sleep in peaceful silence then be jolted awake by the uniform buzzing of the handy Sony radio alarm clock my uncle gave me for my high school graduation...um...let's see, 12 years ago. When the familiar beep-beep-beep goes off, I jump out of bed (literally, because I purposely put my alarm clock just out of arm's reach so that I can't snooze), wash my face and get ready for the day.

That super-annoying progressively louder alarm clock? That's like turning 30.

The minute you turn 29, it starts. It's very quiet at first, so quiet you can barely hear it. "You're turning 30 soon. You're turning 30 soon. You're turning 30 soon."

Then as the months of your last year of your 20's fly by, it gets louder. "You're turning 30 soon. You're turning 30 soon. You're turning 30 soon. You're turning 30 SOON. You're TURNING 30 SOON. YOU'RE TURNING 30 SOON. YOU'RE TURNING 30 SOON. YOU. ARE. TURNING. 30. SOON."

I just want to shut off the damn alarm and go back to sleep.

But that's the thing about age, and time. You can't turn the damn thing off.

In your single digit years, you dream about the day you'll be older and grown-up and don't have to eat all the vegetables on your plate. In your teens, you dream about how awesome your 20's will be, independence from the parents, doing whatever you want, living life to the max, you know...just being in your 20's. You just know it's going to be....legendary (sorry, too much "How I met your mother" lately). Then when you are finally in your 20's....well, you are THERE. You're young and the world is your oyster. You can do whatever you want (or as Barney would say, whoever you want....ok seriously, too much "How I met your mother"). You're unstoppable. Everything is possible. You believe you have all the time in the world. Actually, you don't even really think about time, you're too busy living life and just being in your 20's. But as the big 3-0 approaches, that little ticking clock starts getting audible. And it gets louder and louder and louder.

To be honest I always thought I would glide into my 30's gracefully. I really believed it wouldn't be a big deal to me, that it would just be like any other number. I want to be that cool girl who doesn't care about turning 30. But I'm not. It IS freaking me out, just a little bit. 30 is so....not your 20's anymore.

When you make crazy decisions in your 20's, people actually admire you for your craziness and/or let it slide with "you're young, take risks, pursue every crazy dream you have!" Want to backpack around the world? Yes, do it! How adventurous! Want to change your career path completely? How brave, how wonderful! Want to take a year off of school or career to [fill in blank here]? Do it! Want to get drunk every night and make stupid decisions you don't remember? Why not, you're in your 20's!

But those same decisions in your 30's? They're a little immature. And if you make them, you're just a little bit lame. Because really, by now, you should know better. Have it figured it out. In your 30's, success is measured not by the risks you took to achieve your dreams, but the practical decisions you made to....how do I put it? Basically the practical decisions you made towards living out the rest of your life. Such as finding someone to become a "we" with. Procreating. Having good credit so you can get a mortgage. Saving money for retirement.

So I think there are basically three stages in life:

1. Waiting to get to your 20's

2. Being in your 20's

3. The rest of your life

And I'm not saying that Stage 3 is going to be bad. Just really different.

And....I think I am ready for that Stage. I'm ready to jump out of bed and face the rest of my life (umm, well I think I am). I just wish I could sleep in peace until then without the annoying alarm clock getting louder and louder every day.