What is life but a series of shuffling up and down the ladder of importance?

I still remember the first day of college. My family dropped me off at a shoddy brick dorm known as Wright Hall. As freshmen that semester, we huddled closely and didn't dare invade the space of revered seniors. Years later as a senior myself, I felt complete freedom and ownership of my soon-to-be alma mater. As a recent college graduate, I find myself once again at the bottom of the food chain, groveling at potential employer's feet for a chance to work a shitty entry-level job. And this feeling will no doubt surface again as my years progress: a newlywed, a new parent, a new mid-career worker. At some point, though, a strange reversal takes place. When you might think we would be finished with all the new kid on the block syndrome, we become out of place because of our experience, often intimidated by those younger than us who are quicker, smarter, and easily adaptable.