How to be a 20-something

Like Charles Dickens would say, it’s the best of times and the worst of times.  
Co-authors Brandon Scott Gorrell and Stephanie Georgopulos express this famous sentiment in “How To Be a 20-Something.”

The book examines what it means to be in your 20s, whether you’re attending school as an undergrad or a working professional creeping towards the big 3-0.

It chronicles the fun, freedom and endless possibilities of young adulthood in addition to the self-doubt, the early job struggles and the fact that most broke 20-year-olds exist primarily on ramen and diet coke. 

“We don’t want this compilation to paint a pretty picture of our generation,” Gorrell and Georgopulous wrote. “But we don’t want to paint an ugly one, either. Life, at any age, is not either/or ... It’s a series of highs, lows, and everything in between.”

Through a collection of short essays, the book offers readers a glimpse into the mind of the American 20-something.

Ten different authors offer their distinct perspective on the “hot mess of a decade.”

Their stories vary in subject and tone, from blunt dating advice (“How to Have Sex With Me One Time” by Sarah Nicole Prickett), to sarcastic commentary on the endless job search post-graduation (“I Am Extremely Talented And Important” by Brad Pike) to humorous party stories (“The Three Times I Took Ambien” by Karyn Spencer).

My personal favorite was a brief essay entitled, “Notes On Dating A Crazy Girl” by Oliver Miller.

Miller describes his tumultuous relationship with his “Fatal Attraction” girlfriend Amber with vivid imagery and hilarious metaphors.

“No one ever sets out to date a crazy girl, in the same way that no one ever sets out to become a member of a cult,” Miller wrote. “ No one’s like, ‘HEY MAYBE I’LL JOIN AN INSANE CULT TODAY.’ No, you just gradually get sucked in — step by step, day by day, hour by hour — until eventually, you’re just as crazy as she is.”

Regardless of their varying topics, all the essays included in “How to be a 20-Something” have the same underlying meaning — celebrate this time in your life. Embrace it.

“I want to remember the fear, I want to remember the promise, I want to remember the nights I wanted to curl up in a ball, I want to remember the people I’m not supposed to remember, I want to remember not knowing myself, I want to remember the moment I start feeling safe and like this life I’m leading is really mine,” Ryan O’Connell wrote in his essay, “Why Being In Your 20s Is Awesome.”

Never again will you have the chance to be a 20-something.

­— jenfagan@indiana.eduFollow columnist Jenna Fagan on Twitter @jenna_faganIDS.