What stage of life are you in, and why?

It’s funny that you mention the stage thing, because a friend of mine and I used to have this conversation often. I kinda envision life in three stages:

1. learning (school, early part of career, etc.)
2. performing (doing your craft, excelling at your chosen activity);
3. giving back (finding away to share the things that you’ve learned, whether as a grandfather, or a college professor or something like that).

So in this case, I guess I would be still in phase 1. Somebody told me that you never really know if you’re good at what you do, till you’re 30. And I kinda believe that. So right now I'm building and refining my skill set (analytical skills, writing skills, critical mass of social theory knowledge, etc.). Plus I’m planning on going to graduate school in a year and a half…

After saying that, there are a number of other thoughts that come to mind. I believe life is a journey, and isn’t as much about the destination but more so the path (I hope this doesn’t sound too trite). In this sense, I’m a lifelong learner. I like to read a whole lot, and I’m always trying to stay on top of what’s going on (plus it helps me prepare for my job, and future). Right now, I’m just trying to enjoy life, take advantage of the things that life presents me, and prepare for myself for opportunities in the future.