©Illustration by Sofía Alvarez
For many people, the first stage of our lives is characterized by constants. Every weekday, we drag ourselves out of bed at the crack of dawn to attend classes. Each afternoon, we kick a ball around at sports practice or go over a script at play rehearsal. Maybe on the weekends, we get to see some friends.
With repetition like this can come a sense of comfort… perhaps even one of belonging.
But before you know it, childhood comes to an end, and we’re met with our 20s.
We graduate schools, start new jobs, move away from our parents… We grow up, discover ourselves, and start to become who we’re meant to be.
Faced with unexpected turns and detours throughout, it can be difficult to see clearly where our paths are headed. Where will we end up one year from now? How about six months?
These questions don’t necessarily need answers, as much as some may try to convince you otherwise. (Feel free to subscribe your nagging relatives to this newsletter the next time they ask whether you’ve planned your entire life out yet.)
But, there is one question that needs addressing: how can we attain belonging in such an environment? At a stage in our lives where our surroundings, connections and identities are in flux, finding communities to grasp onto is challenging.
There’s no right way to go about solving this, of course. Everyone will adopt their own techniques, whether that involves doubling down on maintaining existing relationships, or maybe joining groups – book clubs, courses, volunteering organizations – to build new ones.
At the very least, it’s important to know that you’re not alone in perhaps feeling detached or lonely as you move through your youth.
In that sense, maybe we young people, still finding our places in the world, make up a community ourselves.
Comments