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30歳になるということ
雅子さんは今年4月の誕生日で30歳になりました。ひと昔前なら、30歳といえば立派な大人とみなされた年齢です。しかし、雅子さんにとっては、30歳なんてどこ吹く風。人生まだまだこれからと考えています。とはいえ、誕生日をいい機会に、自分が人生でどの地点に立っているのかについて、思いを巡らせました。
Thirty is the new 20?
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30歳になったものの、考え方や振る舞いに子供っぽさが残る、と自分を省みる筆者。しかし、最近、一社会人として将来について考えるようになった
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If the Japanese invented the phrase "parasite single," the American equivalent of the term is probably "adultolescent." It's a combination of the words "adolescent" and "adult." Although it used to be the case that children were to become independent by age 21 - or even age 18 in some circles - nowadays, it's not uncommon for adult children to live with their parents well into their 20s or even later. Given the current tough economy, even college graduates may live with their parents temporarily before they are able to become economically secure. Granted, in many cases, it's not by choice that the kids live at home, but it's not entirely without benefits, either.
There used to be a chatty administrative assistant in the cubicle next to mine with two children about my age. She told me that her son had recently moved back home. He has a college degree in broadcast journalism or some other creative-media field, but he's been forced to take a job as a truck driver to make ends meet. She told me that when she was his age, she was married, had two children, owned a home, worked full time and earned her college degree by taking night classes. Things are different now, she exclaimed, with understandable exasperation.
I turned 30 in April, and way back when this administrative assistant was my age, this was considered "over the hill." I barely feel as if I've started climbing the hill. This birthday is obviously just another day in the calendar, but it's been a good opportunity for me to reflect on where I am in my life and what path I want to take.
I've been financially independent since I graduated from college - and, of course, I have a full-time job now - but in many ways, I still act like a 20-year-old. I often leave dishes piled up in the sink or dump my clothes straight from the dryer onto my bed. I'm not terribly good at keeping up with annual Christmas cards or writing thank-you notes. I often drink coffee in lieu of dinner when I work late. Most obviously, I'm not married and I don't have kids. The future is still quite open for me.
In the States, it's considered improper to ask a person's age at work since it might lead to age-related discrimination. However, one can usually guess another person's age quite easily by asking how much work experience the person has, or by asking when that person graduated from college. I've never tried to hide my age, and when I found out that two of my co-workers were also turning 30, I felt it was an event worthy of celebration. I asked my project leader whether she'd be willing to throw a party for us and she agreed. She even bought us flowers!
Now that my co-workers know how old I am, I've gotten surprised remarks: "Really? I thought you were about 25!" I don't exactly know what kind of calculations they've been doing in their heads, because that would mean that I'd have gotten my Ph.D. at the tender age of 23!
I will admit that I probably act young for my age. I don't know whether this is good or bad. I notice that when I'm with a group of colleagues, I'm often the most enthusiastic of the bunch. But this could easily be turned around to imply that I'm naive. All I can say is that I may feel 20 and look 25, but I've been spending some serious time thinking of how I want to live my life as a proper adult. I haven't reached any grand conclusions. No, I haven't figured out The Meaning of Life yet.
Apparently, I'm not the only one who has been pondering the future. I recently got together with one of my superiors at work to discuss my work plans. He asked me about my longer-term interests, since it would help direct my actions for this year. I told him I didn't really have any plans. He is almost 50 years old and he's spent 20 years with the same company, but he told me that he still hasn't quite figured out what he wants to be when he grows up, either.
Shukan ST: May 7, 2004
(C) All rights reserved
- invented 〜
- 〜を生み出した
- parasite single
- 親に経済的に寄生する独身者のこと(parasite は「寄生虫」、single は「独身者」)
- equivalent of the term
- それに匹敵する言葉
- combination of 〜
- 〜の造語
- adolescent
- (思春期以降で未成年の)子供
- it used to be the case that 〜
- 以前は〜だった
- in some circles
- 一部の人の間では
- Given 〜
- 〜を考えると
- college graduates
- 大卒者
- temporarily
- 一時的に
- become economically secure
- 経済的に安定する
- Granted
- たとえそうだとしても
- it's not by choice that 〜
- 好きで〜ではない
- it's not entirely without benefits
- 全く利点がないわけではない
- chatty
- 話し好きな
- administrative assistant
- 管理スタッフ
- cubicle
- (つい立てで仕切られた)デスク
- college degree
- 学位
- broadcast journalism
- 放送ジャーナリズム
- creative-media field
- クリエイティブなメディアの分野
- make ends meet
- 家計をやりくりする
- earned 〜
- 〜を取得する
- exclaimed
- 声高に言った
- exasperation
- いら立ち
- way back when 〜
- 〜だった昔
- over the hill
- 盛りを過ぎた
- barely 〜
- ほとんど〜ない
- just another day
- いつもと同じ日
- reflect on 〜
- 〜について考える
- path
- 進路
- leave dishes piled up
- 皿を積み上げたままにする
- sink
- 流し台
- dump 〜
- 〜を投げ出す
- dryer
- 乾燥機
- keeping up with annual Christmas cards
- 毎年クリスマスカードを遅れずに送る
- thank-you notes
- お礼状
- in lieu of 〜
- 〜の代わりに
- improper
- 不適切な
- age-related discrimination
- 年齢がらみの差別
- worthy of 〜
- 〜に値する
- be willing to throw a party
- パーティーを開く気がある
- surprised remarks
- 意外な言葉
- calculations
- 計算
- Ph. D.
- 博士号
- at the tender age of 〜
- 弱冠〜歳で
- colleagues
- 同僚
- (the)enthusiastic
- 熱い人
- of the bunch
- 同僚の中で
- be turned around to imply that 〜
- 逆に〜を意味する
- naive
- うぶな
- grand conclusions
- 素晴らしい結論
- haven't figured out 〜
- 〜を見出していない
- The Meaning of Life
- 人生の意味
- Apparently 〜
- 〜らしい
- has been pondering 〜
- 〜について考えている
- superiors
- 上司
- longer-term
- 長期的な