Expectations vs. Reality

I have been on this earth now for 25 years, 6 months and 10 days. I feel that this is quite a long time, I mean for me it took an eternity to get here. I pride myself on the fact that I walk around with my eyes wide open at all time. I feel like I see a lot of things that some people don't. This isn't me being big headed, its just the way I feel I am wired. I would love to be able to ignore some things and act like some things don't bother me. I am an observer, I watch and I listen; and I have developed an understanding of reality vs. expectations. Things aren't always what they should be, people strive for the expectation and ignore the reality. In a world full of images being thrust upon us at all time it is hard to accept certain things.

We have movies, TV shows and the internet showing us an idealistic way life should be. We watch a happy movie and we want life to be like that, we watch a sad movie and don't register that that is probably a lot more realistic. We all have pain, we all have to make an effort just to get through life with a smile on our face. Everything is an effort. Everything takes work. This post is purely my opinion, you may not agree with it and you may think that I am being a huge downer about everything.

Love/Relationships
Expectations
You meet the love of your life pretty early on. It blossoms into something beautiful and suddenly everything falls in to place. You get the house, the dog and the children. Every day is filled with kisses on the cheeks and 'Honey, how was your day?'.
Reality
Just meeting someone is a challenge. There is millions upon millions of single people in this world yet it seems to be impossible to make a match. When you do think you find a match the work starts. You have to impress them, whilst still being yourself, whilst trying to decide if you actually like them. It can blossom into something beautiful and life changing, but it won't happen overnight.

Work
Expectations
You go to high school to get into college, you go to college to get into university and then you leave university to enter the working life. You start your new job after all your qualifications are exactly what they want. Everyday fuels your passion, you work up in the company and you retire into a beautiful life by the sea.
Reality
Education doesn't count for a lot. You have finished university in a shit load of debt and you are willing to take any kind of job that has the smallest to do with the field you are more than trained to work in. You go for the big jobs but they want 'experience'. You don't have experience because for the last 15-20 years you have been in education. You will one day have the job you want, but it takes a hell of a lot of work and takes even more character.

Friends
Expectations
You have a great group of friends that meet up all the time to discuss life. You may have a place you will all go to (e.g a coffee shop). Every celebration in your life they will be there, they will become aunties and uncles to your offspring and there is always someone to call to pick you up if you're down.
Reality
You have as many close friends as you do fingers on your right hand. These people are your substitute family. You may not even see them for months at a time, but it doesn't matter. They are there when you need them and you are there for them in any capacity they require you in. You will have groups of friends from all your walks in life (work friends, uni friends, book club friends) but you will always have your core group of friends.

Just imagine you life expectations as a photoshopped version of reality. The truth is under there but you have glamourised it so much it may seem unachievable. Don't set the bar too high. Achieve what you want to achieve and be happy. if you are always striving for the best then you won't notice what you do have.

I really feel after writing this that I should say that I am a generally happy person, but like everyone there is another side to me. I just wanted to write this for me really. For years I have worked towards my expectations and not accepted my reality. This is just me sharing a little bit more.