Does Life's Timing Matter?

Is there a right time for experiences? Why is it that we need to experience certain things at certain ages? and when we don't we’re looked down upon? You started drinking too early, what's wrong with you? You haven't had sex yet? What are you waiting for? 

I was talking to a friend who told me he used to go out so much before that now he doesn't like to go out drinking. For context, this was a reply to me asking him about his favourite drinking place because I wanted to go out. 

While I was interning at an organisation, a colleague in her mid-twenties revealed she's never gone out dancing. It shocked me, to say the least. It's not the generational gap. It's the upbringing. People living in the cities, exposed to the clubbing culture are more likely to imbibe it from a young age. I still have friends who go out partying every day and have been doing it since year 11. The ones who don't go out every day including me unintentionally look down upon them, for being too carefree, for drinking and smoking every day. What and who has hammered this in us? Why are we judging others for living their lives? 

I remember it was my second year in college when one of my friends told me shed never dated anyone. Usually, when people say that it means they've already dated one person ad got so heartbroken they are just into casual sex and hookups. She meant it. I didn't understand how and why. Everyone has had crushes and had people cush on them. Everyone dates or has dated at least once. To date, I know she hasn't been with anyone and it's not because she's a part of the LGBT spectrum. Till now I don't know why she hasn't dated anyone. How is that remotely possible is something I don't get. How can one not experience this? Love is a part of life.  

I realise how hypocritical I sound, but there is that list of things one has to do to actually 'live life'. and according to society, there's a certain age. An influencer I follow is called Kayla, she got married at a very young age and has two kids at 22! It was a shock to me and so many of the netizens that comment saying aren't you too young. In such cases, I do understand that getting married and having kids at 22 is beyond preposterous in this day and age. But the problem with my logic is that everyone has their version of the right age that they conform to. Someone's right age to get married will be different than mine, but that doesn't mean I won't do it, neither does it mean that I am wrong in my beliefs. Like people want to have kids at 25/27, I hate kids so for me to have kids would be nearly impossible. 

Here's a small list of things I believe one should experience at least once in their lives, in no particular order because I am very hypocritical and have my beliefs, even though some things on this list go against my morals. 

There are many things on this list I have accomplished and many I haven't. Mainly because I'm terrified and feel like I'm not ready. I am not emotionally ready to fall in love again and not physically ready for a tattoo (I have trypanophobia). 

We're all ready for different things at different times in our lives. Some people live their entire lives without experiencing anything. But we refused to be judged about it, yet we have the audacity to judge others. Why are we like this? All my writings end with me questioning my or the societal existence. 

So coming back to the first question, is there a right time to experience things in life? Like Tiimothee Chalamet said, "You have to realise that life comes from you, not at you". We've seen bucket lists like these in movies where the main character is terminally ill and wants to 'live life’, not get through it. So what does it mean to actually live life, and does that mean if we've not done one or the other we've not experienced life? The last existential question for today is, what is the right time to be truly happy? Does it happen more than once, or is that like all of life, relative to timing?