Time does change us. There is no denying that. When I reflect back on my young adulthood, I often giggle to myself. I empathize with people who are just coming into their adult lives.. it's a time of great power and little experience in how to wield it. This is a top ten list comparing young me to the (shhh...almost) forty me.
1. Young Me: I have a voice. I am free to say whatever I want. I can swear loudly, yell at others, announce my stance on every situation EVER.
Older me: I have a voice. I use it when I see that my words are well thought out. I don't need to swear or yell, because people don't really hear me when I do that. I have personal opinions about many issues, but it's OK to not try to conform everyone to my beliefs.
2. Young Me: I am going to feel this way about something, forever. I can't believe people do this or that. Can't they see their mistakes???
Older me: I feel this way about something, right now.. but I know that experience and interactions with people can make me change my mind because I may see many sides to a situation instead of one. People make mistakes, so do I. It makes us better people..it's OK to let them work it out and learn from it.
3. Young Me: You hurt me, I am done with you.
Older me: I have hurt you, please give me a chance to fix that..and I will do the same for you when the shoe is on the other foot.
4. Young me: My childhood was terrible, my parent's choices will cause me pain forever.
Older me: My childhood was terrible, but I am not a child. I can choose to learn from those bad experiences and shape my future to be what I want.
5. Young me: People in a position of power only want to abuse it and me. I will fight the system any way I can.
Older me: Some people in a powerful position do abuse it, but it's not fair to judge a whole group of people based on their actions. Laws are often in place for a good reason. Not all of them! But some of them.
6. Young me: I use my words to complain about unfair laws, political events, and the absence of civil rights.
Older me: I use my voice, my hands, my feet, and everything else I can, to seek change. I am involved in my community. I vote. I give my time and finances to causes that I feel passionate about.
7. I laugh at or judge bad decisions that younger and older people make. I am at an enlightened age.
Older me: We are unified in that we ALL make choices based on our life experiences. I may be able to see a better way to do something, but I realize that I learned best when I had to figure it out on my own. Perhaps, if that person asks for help, I will get the opportunity to do so.
8. Young me: I will do what makes me happy. I will behave in a way that I see fit.
Older me: Sometimes what I want does not benefit the people around me. I understand that there is a time for thinking about myself and a time for being selfless. Extremes of either one is not healthy.
9. Young me: I love receiving gifts, I think about THINGS more than I think about the moments I have with others.
Older me: Things are impermanent. Memories are forever. No material item has ever made me as satisfied as time spent with another person. Giving makes me happier than receiving....always.
10. Young me: I feel immortal. I have so much time left.
Older me: Every second is a gift. I must honor each day I have with those I love, because I am not promised another.
Hopefully, I will have the opportunity to revisit this in another decade. This was not a bragging post or a shaming young people post. It was a post to reflect on how much life changes as we grow.
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