Like Night and Day

As a 20 something with limited work history, the need to prove yourself at the office and gently yet steadily demand to be taken seriously seems to be a work responsibility in itself. Each day you chip away at the inherent assumptions of being the baby of the working world, coming a bit early, leaving a bit late, and striving to illustrate that you are not only there to earn your paycheck, but do the job well and efficiently. From the crack of dawn until dusk, Monday through Friday, you are a responsible, intelligent, capable, and mature young adult.

However, once the sun goes down and the weekend comes – it is another story. Just like blowing off steam during your academic stead, now you loosen your tie and toss off your serious, composed, and professional demeanor to just relax. Under the streetlights, you gallivant around the city with friends – either Friday, Saturday, or both if you have the energy and willpower – escaping back into the rhythm of college culture. Hidden beneath the dark sky or in the bar with friends, with a drink or perhaps two in hand, you can simply be yourself and be in that moment.

The difference is quite literally night and day – each of us manifests two seemingly conflicting and irreconcilable personas. Arguably, this duality mirrors superheroes that cast aside their secret identities to fly off into the night. While I’m not claiming that those of us in college/matrimony limbo are crime-fighting superheroes, we certainly do battle valiantly against the awkwardness of fading youth in the face of permanent adult realities. Our generational battle warrants recognition, if not some spandex, a cape, and a baller symbol.