same age

My female owner grew up in an environment where she did not have many same age peers. For instance, during her teenage years, most of her bible study group members were one year older than her. This was because they were all classmates and my female owner happened to be from the same school as them. Hence, despite the difference in school grades, they got along well. My female owner also had many older church friends who served as role models for her.

Needless to say, due to the scarcity of same-age peers (even as an undergraduate), my female owner was used to mixing with people of different ages. She had some same-age friends from junior college but for some reason, she did not really keep in constant contact with them for a few years after leaving school. She only started hanging out more with them in the recent two years.

Although my female owner still has emotional angst talking about her previous workplace and some of the unpleasant experiences she had, one good thing that came out of those years was that she made some really good friends. The Impromptu Frens, as you might have already heard me mention. What you probably never hear me mention before is that four of them are of the same age as my female owner.

Being of the same cohort, it makes it easier for one to make comparisons of where or what everyone has achieved in his/her not-so-short life. One is happily married, owns her own flat and looking to move to a new job. One is happy in the job and owns his set of wheels. One is newly promoted, moving on to a new posting, armed with a Master’s degree. One is moving on to a new posting, is highly valued at work, owns his own flat and going to upgrade himself. One is jobless, doing her Master’s/ Doctorate while incurring a huge financial debt.

As an outsider, who would you say has achieved the most so far? My female owner won’t even want to talk about the other people in the group who are younger than her... It simply makes her red with shame.

Perhaps life is not so much of what you have achieved, but how satisfied you are, with whatever you have. Achievement motivation/ orientation is good, only if it does not consume you or takes the joy out of living in the present.