About a month after I came to college, I went through a phase seriously questioning the motives of some college students. I felt like there was nothing or nobody genuine around. Everything was so volatile but people seemed to be okay with it, although me, a sucker for solidified plans and clear motives, had a hard time adjusting to the new atmosphere. However, many people seemed to be okay with quick meaningless friendships, major change consideration every hour, and emotionless one-night-stands. There was a phrase that was an excuse for everything, "It's okay. It's college!" I thought perhaps some of my peers were taking more advantage of the Odyssey years than I was.
According to David Brooks, the Odyssey years are for people to explore and find what suites for them. He says in his essay "The Odyssey Years," "20-somethings go to school and take breaks from school. They live with their friends and they live at home. They fall in and out of love. They try one career and then try another" (Brooks). People in their Odyssey years are not afraid of change. In fact, they seek for change. They do not have such a thing as a permanent address, land line phone, or a retirement plan. One of the overused phrases among the Odyssey-ers is "Just wing it!" They are young, edgy, energetic, and capable of anything.
But where does the Odyssey years end? Does it ever end? When is the moment that the Oddysey-ers stop and say, "okay, I think I am done exploring." When do you know that the job you have, the person you are in love with, the house you are paying mortgage for, are your final decisions? When do you stop being young, edgy, energetic, and capable of anything and start your life as a serious adult? Or, my real question is, do the Odyssey years ever have to be over?
The ultimate idea that Buddhism is based on is the concept of "volatileness of life." Nothing stays the same as long as time flows. If so, the job I considered as suitable for me at one moment might not be anymore after a few seconds. That is an extreme example, but people should not settle on one job, or ONE IDEA, and be stubborn about it. People should be accepting to the change of the circumstances and the change of themselves. In that sense, the Odyssey years do not only stand for the young adult generation; the Odyssey years represent people's entire lives. For example, a mid-aged stockbroker who realized that he would live a happier life as a journalist should not be afraid to quit his job as a stockbroker and become a journalist; just because his 20s ended does not mean he cannot change anymore. If there is a colossal change in one's life, one should be accepting to the change and adapting to it. Thus, one can be young, edgy, and capable of anything regardless of their age.
So what is so special about youth then? It is the society's pressure that makes youth a "special" period of time. When constant change is very natural and omnipresent in one's life, the society considers any kind of shift to be immature and childish. Change is extremely usual and commonplace. Adults can change as much as young people can. When there is not that big of a difference, the society's mistaken standard of maturity sets the line between youth and adulthood.
However, there is a difference between exploring to find what you want and avoiding commitment. The thoughtless actions of some college students are not the result of the Odyssey years. Knowing what you want and being aware of the change of your needs is different from "just winging it" not knowing what you want. The Odyssey years are for those who constantly experiences the change of their needs and moral changes, not for those who do not have their identities set up. The thoughtless behaviors people constantly see in some young adults are due to their lack of maturity, not because they are Odyssey-ers. Therefore, the excuse "It's okay, it's college!" is not completely valid. The Odyssey-ers should know how to take the responsibilities of their actions.
The Odyssey years are for people to feel free to change and to adapt to the change. Since people tend to change constantly, the Odyssey years should not only be restricted to those who are considered to be young. Life itself as a whole is an odyssey; youth is nothing but a name to distinguish a group of odd-looking chickens that are yet to be roosters.
Copyright 2007
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