Hit me baby one more time!

Apparently, the HR department in my company is working on a new 'wage structure' to control the high employee turnover.

But if I know anything about my HR department, my new 'age structure' will be in use long before their new wage structure has even been conceptualised.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I said new 'age structure'.

If I were the HR manager at the..err... divine level, I'd propose a new age structure for humans. The core of my proposed age structure involves two important concepts.

1. We should die at 50.
2. We should be able to live certain years of our lives for more than one year.

Okay, now I shall elaborate.

1. We should die at 50.

The reason why I feel that we should die at 50 is because I believe that's all our generation can handle. Our parents have made our lives so easy that we're incapable - both physically and mentally - to cope with the hardships of life, especially as we get older. Pampered and spoilt, all our generation does is sit and crib about things without the will to change anything ourselves. If we compare ourselves to what our parents went through to earn a living, to make a life, what we're doing is like a joke. Every little thing that happens to us seems like a huge hardship to us. In fact, we're changing the very basic definition of 'struggle' and 'hardships'.

Our parents' generation knew how tough life was - and perhaps that's why they found such happiness in small things in spite of difficulties. But look at us - we demand so much more to feel even a little happy. We always feel that we don't have enough money, love, support, happiness, intelligent company, etc. etc. You name it, we don't have it! Not to mention we want shortcuts to everything. We're not appreciative of what we have because we have been spoiled and pampered so bad. Looking at the present situation, I believe that if we're cribbing about life when we're hale and hearty, there is no way we can take it when we're old, frail and helpless.

So here's another shortcut then - everyone dies at 50. Simple. 50 is a nice age to die at. You're neither too old, nor too young. Hopefully you would have achieved what you wanted to in those 50 years and would be ready to die a happy death, while you're still hale and hearty. Also, since you know exactly how many years you have, you would be able to plan your life better.

2. We should be able to live certain years of our lives for more than one year.

We like certain years of our lives much more than others. So the new age structure will give us the flexibility of applying for an extension of a certain age. Let's say, you loved the year you were 18. A month before your birthday, you can apply for an extension and choose to stay 18 for another year. Extension will be granted based on your performance in the year re-applied for. This extension will be applicable to only three ages in one lifetime, so make your choices wisely. I foresee that most people will choose ages such as 16, 18, 21 and 25. But it's really upto you. Because you will be the one choosing what to do in that extra year. And oh, it does not mean that if you sat for your boards in the first year of being 18, you gotta sit for it again in your second year of being 18. You can choose to do anything you like, but your age as per records (and people's memories) will be 18 in the following year too.

Extensions will be granted upto three years, but one year at a time. This relates to point 1 mentioned above, as your total age will still be 50. So if you decide to live the age of 18 for three years, and the rest as per normal, your age on the records will be 47 when you die. But you would have lived the same as everyone else - 50 years. That will also make sure that death does not become too predictable. Since you would not know how old a person really is, you would not be able to tell who's gonna die when. You can only tell for yourself.

Sounds good, huh? To me, it does.

And if I were to take advantage of the new structure, I'd choose to stay 25 for 3 more years. And it's not just because I am already past the 16 and 18 and 21 marks.

It's because I believe that 25 is the perfect age.

It is the age where you are still kinda clueless about where your life is headed, but you have a vague idea. It is the age where you're still learning things at the workplace, but you're also being taken seriously. It is the age where you can pull off any kind of clothes, from a 16-year-old's to a 35-year-old's. It is the age where you start thinking of marriage but you can still afford to be unsure. It is the age where you're mature, but yet you can pull off a kiddish side. It is the age where what you make of yourself as a person will stay with you for life.

It is the age where you are most you.

And that's why I, Sayesha, on the stroke of midnight, 13th April 2006, refuse to turn 26.