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A Twentysomething Nursery Rhyme About Getting Lost and Persevering

A gray background featuring the number “42” in a large, slanted, dark gray font in the upper right. Below, centered in bold black text, is the quote: “You’re never too old for a nursery rhyme.”

There was a young twentysomething who lived in a shoe.

She had so much debt she didn’t know what to do.

She interned and hustled, without any luck.

Now she wakes up depressed, working part-time at Starbucks.

“My 20s were not supposed to be like this,” she cried out in bed.

“I was Honors! I was tops! I was going to be a speaker on TED!”

Lying there that night, hope was dwindling fast.

Her life of success, seemingly a dream from the past.

When all of a sudden from the window came a rattle.

Then a famp. A KERPLAMP!

And then a zattle.

“What the mustache?!?” she gasped, as little did she expect …

That rat-tat-tatting on the window was Mr. Jeopardy himself, Alex Trebek!

“Yes it is I, here in your room.

“I was awakened from sleep as I sensed such despair, such gloom.”

“Yes, Mr. Trebek, nothing makes sense in my life.

“I thought by this age I’d be successful! Established! Heck, maybe even a wife.

“But my 20s have turned out nothing as planned.

“I feel stuck. Without answers. A lost girl in this land.”

“Oh my dear, you see, they forgot to teach you this in school.

“But don’t worry. We all go through it. Don’t feel like a fool.

“As I always say, you need to find the right questions before you get to the answer.

**“Because life. Sometimes. Makes as much sense as the lyrics to ‘Hold me closer tiny dancer.’**

“To be found, you must first become lost.

“To make a big difference, you must pay a ridiculous cost.

“Your 20s aren’t as simple as receiving an A on a test.

“You have to come up with the right questions, and then you live out the rest.

“You must ask, ‘Who do I want to be?’

“It might seem a silly question, but its answer will affect your life, oh most profoundly.

“Because most people don’t ask. They just do. And then never get undone.

“They work. And worry. They have little fun.

“But life is so fleeting like the petals on a rose.

“It is so beautiful, and then poof, there it goes.

“So I know things look bleak as you live in this shoe.

“But I swear, very soon, you’ll know exactly what to do.

“You’ll find your way around all the wrong turns and thorns.

“You’ve got too much going to not grab life by the horns.

“Just give yourself time. Neither Rome, nor Google, was built in a day.

“It takes hours of hard climbing and searching, but I promise you’ll find the way.

“Just don’t give up hope. That’s what overcomers do best.

“No matter their failures, they rise above the unrest.

“Because the key is perseverance. It’s not sexy, but it’s true.

“And I swear, very soon, you’ll know exactly what to do.”

练习题

In the nursery rhyme, what best describes the young twentysomething’s emotional state at the beginning?

A. She feels confident because her career is progressing exactly as planned.

B. She feels disappointed, stuck, and confused because her 20s do not match her expectations.

C. She feels bored because life has become too predictable and easy.

D. She feels proud because debt and part-time work prove she has already succeeded.

Alex Trebek’s advice that one must find the right questions before getting the answer most directly suggests which idea?

A. Life always has clear answers if a person works quickly enough.

B. Confusion is useless and should be ignored.

C. Meaning and direction often begin with thoughtful questioning, not instant certainty.

D. The best life decisions come from copying what most people do.

Which statements accurately reflect the message of the poem? Select all that apply.

A. Feeling lost in one’s 20s can be part of the process of eventually finding direction.

B. The speaker’s disappointment comes partly from the gap between expected success and current reality.

C. Being lost means a person has failed permanently and should stop trying.

D. The poem suggests that confusion can exist before clarity.

E. The poem says that success in adulthood is as simple as getting good grades in school.

The poem argues that people should ask deeper questions such as “Who do I want to be?” rather than simply doing what everyone else does.

The comparison to the lyrics of “Hold me closer tiny dancer” is used to show that life always makes perfect logical sense.

Which option best captures the connection between being lost, hope, and perseverance in the poem?

A. If someone is lost, hope is pointless and perseverance only delays failure.

B. Being lost is a necessary final destination, so there is no reason to search further.

C. A person may feel lost before finding direction, but hope and perseverance help them keep going.

D. Perseverance matters only after a person has already achieved success.

According to the poem, many people “don’t ask” but instead “just ___,” which keeps them from deeper self-questioning.

Why is the question “Who do I want to be?” important in the poem?

Explain how the line “Neither Rome, nor Google, was built in a day” supports the poem’s message about overcoming difficulty.

Which response would best fit the poem’s advice to a twentysomething who feels behind in life?

A. “Assume your current struggle proves your future is already ruined.”

B. “Stop asking questions and copy whatever path seems most popular.”

C. “Give yourself time, keep hope, and continue searching for the right direction.”

D. “Measure adulthood only by whether you have already achieved public success.”

A twentysomething feels stuck because life has not gone as planned. Based on the current section and the earlier section about complaining and creating, which response best reflects the book’s recommended way forward?

A. Keep complaining because shared frustration is the most realistic way to cope.

B. Wait passively until the right opportunity appears and life starts making sense.

C. Ask meaningful questions about who you want to be, keep hope, and create a constructive way forward.

D. Avoid big questions because most people succeed by acting without reflection.

Which statements accurately combine the current section’s advice about feeling lost with the prior section’s advice about complaining and creating?

A. Feeling lost can be part of eventually being found, so discouragement does not have to be the final state.

B. Because complaining functions as social currency, the best response to disappointment is to complain more so others understand you.

C. Perseverance matters because success and direction take time rather than arriving instantly.

D. Creating solutions is a proactive alternative to staying stuck in complaint.

E. Acting without self-questioning is presented as the surest way to become fulfilled.

The current section’s message that success and direction take time supports the earlier idea that growing up is a gradual process.

When life feels confusing and disappointment tempts a person to complain, the combined message of these sections is to ask the right questions, keep hope, and choose ___ over cynicism.

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