When they say
you’re only young once
They mean
you’re only below 21 once
Nothing keeps
us from thinking young
“Old” is largely a social construction
Work
contributes to the construct
When the
young person
Hears her
first boss announce: do as I say
It’s early
onset old age
Since this
happens to almost all of us
We know of no
other way
Only a
grown-up child actor
Seems to have
escaped
Most youth
defy the message from work
As if to
prove they are an exception
Work hard and
play hard
A statement I
sometimes hear
Meant to
represent a type of balance
Work hard - do
what they require of you
Play hard -
same thing
Only the
referent group changes
Do what the
employer says
Do what peers
say
The first – “walking
the line”
The second – “self-expression”
Work masters
Play masters
We all have
both
The first is
stern, the other subtle
