I often think that, often, not enough credit is given to people of experience.
Now, I'm not talking about job experience or schooling, even though they both contribute to one's journey through life. What I am talking about is the experience that shapes us into the person we get when we get into our 30's and 40's. You know, that time of our life where we've supposedly grown up and should be doing the "responsible" thing.
I've been lucky to have friends of all age groups, even though I have reached the point where I should be responsible. Mostly, they are younger than me because none are is married (like myself) or has kids and so, it is easier to belong being that I am not a member of the "mommy" club. However, over the past week or so, I have been thinking that there is a much less emotional attachment to these younger people than was originally thought.
It's interesting that, while I mostly understand where they are coming from (because I have already experienced the discomfort of being in one's early to mid-thirties) and we can connect on some levels, that they are not quite ready to understand what it is to be a personh my age. They have no experience that they can share and are still trying to come to grips with the whole "growing up" thing.
I befriended them and they looked up to me for examples of which direction would best suit them. They needed a role model of sorts and I was quite happy to help them with the difficulties of their lives because I was open to guiding them to make their lives easier. What I failed to realize was that I was playing surrogate parent to many of them, instead believing that because we were all single, that they could identify with what I was experiencing now. The truth is that I was wrong.
While I could advise them, they often chose to take directions that were opposite to what I had recommended. I had the experience and knew what the results would be but often they chose to take the hard road. I felt that I wasn't getting credit for life experience but soon realized that they wanted to "go their own way". I applaud them for doing that.
It was quite ironic that I stumbled onto an awesome post on the Three Angry Guys blog that kind of reflected the things that I have been thinking of lately. Going a step further, the things expressed in this post could easily be applied to all young people who are starting out. I wish them luck but to be truthful, it's not an easy journey and nowadays, it doesn't really pay to be naive about the things that are encountered on a daily basis.
I really just wanted to say that I had a really awesome time with those people who came back into my life recently. I have been so lucky to have met some truly amazing and wonderful people during this life of mine and it is even more lucky to have had called them all friends. They reminded me that friendship goes beyond borders and that we should all be honest with ourselves about what each of us considers a friend to be. In my case, it is a connection that should be about equality of all involved despite any differences in opinions. From now on, if that equality doesn't exist, it's simply an acquaintance.
I can never thank my recently visiting friends enough for their wisdom AND their experience. I know that they know who they are.
I just hope that everyone out there is as rich as I am to have such people in their lives.
Have an awesome day everyone!
Now, I'm not talking about job experience or schooling, even though they both contribute to one's journey through life. What I am talking about is the experience that shapes us into the person we get when we get into our 30's and 40's. You know, that time of our life where we've supposedly grown up and should be doing the "responsible" thing.
I've been lucky to have friends of all age groups, even though I have reached the point where I should be responsible. Mostly, they are younger than me because none are is married (like myself) or has kids and so, it is easier to belong being that I am not a member of the "mommy" club. However, over the past week or so, I have been thinking that there is a much less emotional attachment to these younger people than was originally thought.
It's interesting that, while I mostly understand where they are coming from (because I have already experienced the discomfort of being in one's early to mid-thirties) and we can connect on some levels, that they are not quite ready to understand what it is to be a personh my age. They have no experience that they can share and are still trying to come to grips with the whole "growing up" thing.
I befriended them and they looked up to me for examples of which direction would best suit them. They needed a role model of sorts and I was quite happy to help them with the difficulties of their lives because I was open to guiding them to make their lives easier. What I failed to realize was that I was playing surrogate parent to many of them, instead believing that because we were all single, that they could identify with what I was experiencing now. The truth is that I was wrong.
While I could advise them, they often chose to take directions that were opposite to what I had recommended. I had the experience and knew what the results would be but often they chose to take the hard road. I felt that I wasn't getting credit for life experience but soon realized that they wanted to "go their own way". I applaud them for doing that.
It was quite ironic that I stumbled onto an awesome post on the Three Angry Guys blog that kind of reflected the things that I have been thinking of lately. Going a step further, the things expressed in this post could easily be applied to all young people who are starting out. I wish them luck but to be truthful, it's not an easy journey and nowadays, it doesn't really pay to be naive about the things that are encountered on a daily basis.
I really just wanted to say that I had a really awesome time with those people who came back into my life recently. I have been so lucky to have met some truly amazing and wonderful people during this life of mine and it is even more lucky to have had called them all friends. They reminded me that friendship goes beyond borders and that we should all be honest with ourselves about what each of us considers a friend to be. In my case, it is a connection that should be about equality of all involved despite any differences in opinions. From now on, if that equality doesn't exist, it's simply an acquaintance.
I can never thank my recently visiting friends enough for their wisdom AND their experience. I know that they know who they are.
I just hope that everyone out there is as rich as I am to have such people in their lives.
Have an awesome day everyone!
1 Comments:
Lovely post :-)
Post a Comment
<< Home