u/Significant-Sport778

I’m 26 and I feel like I’m fighting tanks with just a stick. Cut off contact with my brother who is just a dick to me because he feels that his shiny job is enough reason to treat me like shit. Parents are too old to get bothered with it and so they let it happen. Thus, I can’t attend family gatherings if my brother is there.

Family aside, everything else is shit. Single since the pandemic, became a workaholic. No dating. Finished law school while working night shifts at a disco, went from bar tende to managing 48 people. Finished law school, did two masters. Got a job in Amsterdam, then got a job in Germany. About to lose that govt job to internal rules applicable to temporary staff (I’m a replacement). Now I feel like the last three years are a blur of studying and working. Time is slipping out of my hands in the sense that I feel like I’m not doing what I’m supposed to be doing - i.e. travelling, seeing friends, hobbies. I’m just grinding day and night - I’m on a family holiday right now and after a week I feel more tired than from when I left work to come here on holiday.

I’m just working and getting by.

It’s true, the 2018/2022 generation is over. Did they squander it? Arguable in the sense that, yes, they didn’t bring any trophies. But if we look beyond that we see a generation had consistently delivered impressive results bringing a small, 11 million people country, to the final stages of the World Cup. Moreover, it inspired a whole country, united it, and I think, gave the right motivation to invest more in its youth, inspiring young Belgian kids to join the sport and perform at high level. This year the Belgian U17 team delivered its best result \*ever\* at the European championship, coming second after drawing 1-1 with Italy and losing 4-3 at the penalties. Last year they lost at the semifinals. But also in the current teams there are stars - look at Doku, look at Lammens (who yes messed up in the match, but let’s not forget, he was voted best transfer in the premier league last season) look at Ngoy, look at De Cuyper, look at Seys who played a fantastic match against Yamal yesterday, Raskin too played extremely well in this World Cup. De ketelare improved its performance and grew consistently this World Cup, after playing a very good season at Atalanta where he didn’t score many goals but built a lot for his teammates.

Overall, I think the label of ‘golden generation’ was more a weight than a compliment, and might have impacted the players more than motivating them. As a Belgian, I feel proud of my national team, who despite everything, they delivered something more than a trophy.

When I (26M) undertook law school (in an EU MS 2019-2022) I thought I was a serious student. Now I don’t remember much, and two years into the job I feel like don’t know anything. I get surclassed by the colleagues on a daily basis. It feels like I never studied law, and I don’t even remember the basics. If i send a document for review they add 10-12 comments.

To be honest, I studied international and comparative law which is not helpful when working in house or within companies or financial institutions. If I could go back, I would study in a normal law school, with a national jurisdiction and then do an international or comparative law jurisdiction.

I am considering rereading my law books just to review some law concepts. Or change careers… that’s also an option 🤣

I (26M) will start off by saying three things: I live far away from my parents (another country), I am very close to my parents and my two older brothers, and I’m very lucky to be in this situation.

It was my mom’s birthday today and I’m seeing her age. My dad is 65, my mom is 62. We had a great life together this far, and I know there’s more memories to come, but I also know that people always overestimate how much there is left. They are both healthy, my brothers are healthy, I’m healthy, and I think that is already better than winning the lottery.

But i also know that with great love comes great grief. whenever I get the chance to visit (~4 times a year), I think how many more times I will have the chance to see them, hug them, talk with them…. And I get scared, and sad. Sometimes they do drive me crazy and make me angry, but most of the time I just feel lucky and happy to be close with them.

How do I not be scared of losing them and how do I make the most of the time left?