Bridge the Gap

Your early 20s — what an interesting time. 

You’ve either been there, are currently there, or after reading this, you’re unsure if you’re excited for those “best years” coming up. Sorry to pop that bubble!

Who are you during that time? Do you even know? Most people don’t, but I’m pretty sure everyone is trying to figure it out. 

There’s a saying that says, “there are 2 types of people in their 20s: the ones that have it all together and the ones who don’t.” I’d like to add a 3rd person to the equation – the one trying to figure it out. 

Maybe you’re the one planning a wedding, or are you the one who dreads the thought of spending forever with the same person? 

Did you take that corporate job out of college, or are you working a part-time gig with more free time? 

Have you set up roots in your hometown, or did you make the big move to the city you’ve been dreaming of forever? 

Are you all of these? Are you none? 

Aren’t we all just trying to find our feet under us? Just trying to figure out how to make a mortgage payment, a pressure cooker meal, or a game-plan for our lives. Aren’t we all just trying to find ourselves? 

It’s the beauty of your 20s, though. The unknown. The chaos. 

It’s the perfect time to make mistakes, to fail, to fly. Never again will we try and fail so many times and still bounce back like we’re unstoppable.

We’re all just trying to bridge the gap. 

You know, that metaphorical gap from childhood to adulthood. 

We’re not innocent children anymore, dependent on Mom and Dad. We’re not the old, wise ones, either. 

We’re in the gap, and if you’re in your 20s, you’re most likely trying to figure out how to bridge it. 

Let me stop you there – this bridge isn’t like most you think of. It’s not the strong, London Bridge, powering over the city. It’s not the Golden Gate, either. It’s more like a swinging bridge — unsteady, risky, and at times, dangerous. 

It’s full of trial and error. Do you run or walk? Charge ahead or fall to the back? Power through or freeze in the middle? Do you embrace it? 

Your 20s are the time to find yourself — find who you are and what you want in life. It’s the time to find ways to connect with new friends and reconnect with old ones. The time to take your life by the reigns and guide it wherever you want to go. 

Young enough to create your narrative and old enough to make it happen. 

But here I am, 22 – the early stage of that awkward waiting period. I’ve figured a few things out, but others, not so much. 

Yet, in the midst of the chaos and unknown, there’s peace. A kind of peace where I don’t need to have it all figured out. A peace that allows me to fail and start over – however many times I need to. It’s peace in the waiting. 

It extends far beyond your early 20s – it’s more of a lesson learned on how to keep going in the midst of crazy. 

Maybe that’s what your 20’s are all about. Looking to find yourself and embracing whatever comes your way. Serendipity, if you will. And overall, it’s about finding joy in the journey! 

Whether the bridge is wavering and unstable, just as your 20’s (or 30s, 40s, or 50s) sometimes are, finding peace in the waiting and joy in the journey is what bridging the gap is all about.