Why am I jealous of this 19-year-old?
Life doesn’t end at 30
Youth activism has always been central to social movements. It seems more now than ever (thanks to social media) that young people are not only out on the streets, but becoming the voices of movements, leading marches, protests, and strategic campaigns.
And I’m fucking jealous.
You don’t have to lecture me, twenty-somethings. I know that being the biggest personality does not a great activist make. But as someone who was raised in the rat-race of high SAT scores and lists of extracurriculars, and “where did you got to school”s, I still feel the urge to be the best at what I do, even if what I do is social justice.
So, when I see stories of 19-year-olds leading non-profit coalitions as they defer their acceptances to Stanford or Harvard, I, at the old, old age of 23, wonder “where did my life go wrong?”.
We put so much pressure on people to be as successful as possible, as young as possible. Don’t believe me? Why the hell does Forbes’s 30 under 30 even exist, other than to make us all feel like we have some arbitrary deadline for a committee at Forbes to decide that we’re accomplished?
I’m not mad at the 19-year-old. Congratulations, girl. What I am frustrated with is the pressure of being a wunderkind. Why on earth…
