Would I Listen? -- Invitation to Write #78

For Writers:

With age comes experience, and with experience comes wisdom. Hopefully.

Now that I'm a father, I wonder how my daughter will take my advice; but I think I know the answer to that, for I know how well I took advice from my parents. (My advice will be better, though! But how to convince Tavi of that...)

In my 20s, I believed in the power of experience. Yes, I thought, you've made your mistakes. Thanks for your advice, but let me find out for myself. All experience is good experience, and as long as I don't kill myself or others in the effort, just give me the space to experience things for myself...

Looking back on my thought process, I know that it was the piss and vinegar of youth speaking. On the other hand, I still believe that a person needs to gain wisdom through experience, and if I would have just accepted advice and foregone experience, I would be a weaker person today.

Write a letter to your past self 20 years ago. Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give yourself. Would you expect your past self to heed your advice?

“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” -- Soren Kierkegaard

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