Life starts at 30?

Touching 30?.. don't fret... because life for some (like myself) is only starting at 30. For the first time in my life I have a steady salary, appropriate responsibility and freedom to live as I would like to. Thanks to my profession, I have been late to get on to this bandwagon of independence- but like they say- better late than never!.

I feel liberated at 30!. Its like reaching life's prime- at a time when you have the sense to enjoy life responsibly yet passionately!. What can be more wonderful?

For instance, I made a rather big (for me) purchase last week - an air conditioner- that I have been meaning to buy in a while. It felt good to be able to pay for your own needs. It felt good to be treated to a bit of luxury- something I was rather averse to when spending my parent's money. Yes , life is definitely beginning for me at 30!

My husband is also touching 30 (earlier than i am). He is also enjoying his new found sense of success. He is growing in every bit of confidence, becoming more obsessed with his appearance and more concerned about his career than he ever was.

They say, age is but a state of the mind. How true! If you thought that your 20s was the best part of life, think again, the 30s may just be better!. The 20s is like the thrill of driving a F1 car at breakneck speed down the convoluted race track with crashes/ near misses and sometimes podium finishes. The 30s, is like racing a Merc on an empty highway along a beach- thrill of a different kind, with you always in control.

Social Networking.. boon or bane?

I sometimes wonder if social networking is really a good thing after all.. on the good side it does help to reconnect with ol' friends and it is a easy interface to keep in touch.. but on the flip side .. like everything else about our times, i wonder if it is pressurizing people to look/act/feel a certain way, invading privacy, and making fake projections of people rather than show them in their true light.

For instance, who hasn't selected their best looking pics to upload on to their profile.. more likely ones that have been digitally modified in some way!. A weekend trip is now a photo shoot for some- just to take cool pics to post on their pages. There is always a constant pressure to "look" or "make a show " of being a" successful" or "cool" personality- and the best part it is not easy to "pretend" to be having a lot of fun/success. A ol' college batchmate- you didn't even bother giving him a second glance while in college- posts a pic of himself standing proudly next to a Merc- and you wonder how in God's name did "he " of all people shoot up the ladder of success so fast! A rather conservative girl from school posts a picture of herself in a revealing outfit-somethin' you could never think you would wear yourself!. Are these all fake?- you question yourself. Sure, people change- but why do they all love exhibiting it online?? This alarming attitude of many social net-workers to weave a blanket of "fun- success- money" around themselves and the pressure on their peers to follow up with the same is troubling.