If I knew...
I read the article by Stephen Fry, posted on a favourite blogspot of mine. It is a letter written to his teenage self...I skimmed through it. I have one word to say...Mind blowingly Honest!!
It's so true that adult hood is too much hype. Many of us wish, we could remain in our adolescent misery! Atleast back then, age was an excuse for lack of maturity, mistakes commited and general scapegoat for most actions.
Adulthood rips the cocoon apart! You only have yourself to look upto. Marriage and children furthur isolates you, as you become wholly responsible...
hey, hey..whoa...let me not get carried away on those serious lines...
What would I really tell my teen self...here goes...
What I know now if I knew back then...
# No matter how old you are, Parents will continue to treat you as if you are a teenager, irrational and impulsive...the only difference is that they will take your spouse's support to endorse it as well! So don't care; be yourself..it doesnt make a difference to any one...anyways!!
# Your elder sis will clear out the cupboard when she leaves home (post wedding), leaving you with one pair of jeans and couple of tops...forever leaving a void in your clothes department as you realise that your skill in buying acoutrements is next to nill!
# Wanting to have babies is not a good enough reason to get married!! Your naive rose tinted perspective is going to land you in a load of trouble...it's a case of act first and regret in leisure!!
# The Ideal man exists, but he is not neccessarily your husband...he is probably some one else's!!
# You will actually be a published writer!...and your words will be read!!!Unthinkable, if you remember that the 7th grade English teacher accused you of plagarism and made you cry in front of the entire class. This is your chance to stick your tongue out at her...So there!!
# Your Brother will grow up! Even go as far as giving you advice on some assorted issues. The amazing thing is, you will take his advice...grudgingly...knowing that inspite of throwing the TV remote at him and trying to crack his skull, he is not cracked...yet...
# You will start to listen to your father, and not try to run away every time he starts his "good old days" speech!! Even go as far as looking to him for advice...yes that's there in your future!!
# You will actually give up reading Romance Novels, much to Mother's happiness and relief. To such an extent that you have developed a healthy dislike for them. I know I state the improbable...but that's reality!
# Face book and Internet will become your life line to friends who you thought are lost forever. Bringing some sanity to this chaotic world that one lives in. Burnt bridges can be rebuilt...what a revelation...like the Life-Line option in Crorepati!! You will actually be Tech savvy...savvy that!
# You will find your direction, albeit with great difficulty and the usual back-and-forthing! But...you will find it. Trust me I know you!!
So let me tell you one thing here:
If you thought Teenage is tough, Adulthood is tougher! But the saving grace is that maturity will help you forgive yourself a little better and hopefully faster!
It's so true that adult hood is too much hype. Many of us wish, we could remain in our adolescent misery! Atleast back then, age was an excuse for lack of maturity, mistakes commited and general scapegoat for most actions.
Adulthood rips the cocoon apart! You only have yourself to look upto. Marriage and children furthur isolates you, as you become wholly responsible...
hey, hey..whoa...let me not get carried away on those serious lines...
What would I really tell my teen self...here goes...
What I know now if I knew back then...
# No matter how old you are, Parents will continue to treat you as if you are a teenager, irrational and impulsive...the only difference is that they will take your spouse's support to endorse it as well! So don't care; be yourself..it doesnt make a difference to any one...anyways!!
# Your elder sis will clear out the cupboard when she leaves home (post wedding), leaving you with one pair of jeans and couple of tops...forever leaving a void in your clothes department as you realise that your skill in buying acoutrements is next to nill!
# Wanting to have babies is not a good enough reason to get married!! Your naive rose tinted perspective is going to land you in a load of trouble...it's a case of act first and regret in leisure!!
# The Ideal man exists, but he is not neccessarily your husband...he is probably some one else's!!
# You will actually be a published writer!...and your words will be read!!!Unthinkable, if you remember that the 7th grade English teacher accused you of plagarism and made you cry in front of the entire class. This is your chance to stick your tongue out at her...So there!!
# Your Brother will grow up! Even go as far as giving you advice on some assorted issues. The amazing thing is, you will take his advice...grudgingly...knowing that inspite of throwing the TV remote at him and trying to crack his skull, he is not cracked...yet...
# You will start to listen to your father, and not try to run away every time he starts his "good old days" speech!! Even go as far as looking to him for advice...yes that's there in your future!!
# You will actually give up reading Romance Novels, much to Mother's happiness and relief. To such an extent that you have developed a healthy dislike for them. I know I state the improbable...but that's reality!
# Face book and Internet will become your life line to friends who you thought are lost forever. Bringing some sanity to this chaotic world that one lives in. Burnt bridges can be rebuilt...what a revelation...like the Life-Line option in Crorepati!! You will actually be Tech savvy...savvy that!
# You will find your direction, albeit with great difficulty and the usual back-and-forthing! But...you will find it. Trust me I know you!!
So let me tell you one thing here:
If you thought Teenage is tough, Adulthood is tougher! But the saving grace is that maturity will help you forgive yourself a little better and hopefully faster!
Hear! Hear!
ReplyDeletehey who accuses you of lengthy posts? what else is there to do but enjoy a decent long post anyhoos..someone's asking for a knuckle sandwich methinks :P
good one !! undertone of humor was simply humorous...:))
ReplyDeletenother thing is...ull stop reading the romance novels 'cos u detest them...and then ur daughter will pick up right where u left off!!! ha ha ha !! im waiting for 'U' to pick up a Mills n Boon! LOL!
Read your post on Ammanis blog and had to stop by to tell you how much of what you wrote rings true! That part about getting advice from your younger brother and how burnt bridges can be rebuilt...I couldnt agree more!
ReplyDeleteThanks for giving me perspective on my own past through yours.
Superb!
ReplyDelete