We always read these articles that tell us the things which we must be doing or those of which we should have already done by the time we reach a certain age. I, for one, never believe in doing any of those things. You see, nobody has the right to tell us how to live our life. Besides, stating all these things, more often than not, makes us feel that our life may not be exciting enough; and then that would just be totally wrong.
So I say:
Live your life the way that you want to and not how other people want you to….
Anyway, so instead of doing that, I’ve come up with a different list. For twenty-four (24) years now, I know that I may have not learned much yet; but I do know that I’ve been able to have a lot of experiences. These experiences taught me a lot of things; and it made me learn a lot and become strong. So here are the things that I’ve learned at 24:
1. The things that seems to be important to you at 12 are not important anymore. (they are not even important AT ALL)
Popularity. Being Cool. Impressing other people. These are the things that appear to be so important to most of us when we are young. At 12 years old, I bet that most of us believe that being popular means being cool; and being cool is totally important. I remember my friends back then were way too excited when it comes to boys.Asking for numbers and calling the boys on the phone (yep, cellphones are not that much of a thing at the time haha) were the things that girls my age were doing back then. But not for me; I just felt like it’s not something that I need to be doing at the time. I mean, I also have crushes before, but it’s only up to that and nothing more. So anyway, fast forward to 12 years later, I’ve realized that these things don’t matter anymore. Being 24 actually gives you a certain kind of serenity and contentment. Popularity? Meh. Being Cool? Double Meh. Impressing other people? Triple Meh. Hahaha
2. Just because others are doing it, doesn’t mean that you have to be doing it.
This goes out to those kids who feel a lot pressured by their peers. Believe me, you can survive high school without having a boyfriend. And you can survive college without doing booze and drugs. You have to realize that being young is the best stage of your life. During these times, you don’t have any responsibility, you have all the energy, and you can make mistakes without having to suffer all the scrutinies. Get experiences. Experience everything. But always limit them to a certain extent.
3. Experience really is the best teacher
Have you ever had that experience which is so bad that you have promised yourself you would never do it again? Think of it like when you have the flu, and then you get to appreciate and miss the feeling when you don’t have it? And then you promise yourself that you’d drink more fluids next time. There would be a lot of instances like that when you are young. But the best part of it? There are still a lot of chances for you to make things right. You have your entire life for it; and you should be grateful for that. Experiences make us better, and it helps us reach our best potential. As we grow old, we would realize that not all things can be learned from books. The best way to learn in life is by actually living and experiencing it.
4. Having a few true friends is better than having many fake ones
When we are young, I’m sure we all wanted to become part of certain cliques. Being part of something actually makes us feel that we belong. Having a lot of friends may be fun; but making sure that they are all true ones is hard. Having lots of friends may mean that a lot of people like you; but underneath it all, it may also be just a form of self-affirmation. That feeling of wanting to be liked, we all experience that in all stages of our lives, and not only while we are young. But as we grow older, we would realize that it’s not about how many people would cheer you on; but about how many people would catch you when you stumble and fall. Personally, I can tell you that I can count my true friends using my fingers and toes. I don’t easily let people in, But I am friendly.
5. Mom and Dad are always right
I am pretty sure that while we were young, we have this tendency to get annoyed at our parents; we think that the only word that they know is “No”.
Mom can I join this camping trip? No.
Mom can I buy this? No.
Mom can I sleepover at (friend’s name) house? No.
And the list goes on haha!
Being 24, I must say that I am already kind of independent already. At this stage, I already drive my own car and I get to go home late at night on my own without having my own driver anymore. And that is after 22 long years of being picked up and dropped off from our home to my school. ( yup, until I was already in Law school)
But that doesn’t mean that my mom or my dad would not check up on me anymore. I still have my curfew, and I abide by it. Let’s face it, I am still living with my parents; and it’s their house, so it’s their rules.
Whenever I think about it, I don’t feel so constricted anymore. Maybe when I was younger, I feel that I was being deprived; but now that I am older, I’ve realized that I did not really miss out on a lot of things. I am even grateful that my mom and dad protected me, without actually making me miss out on what I was supposed to experience when I was younger. Besides, I haven’t been really fond of dark, smelly, and smoky places. Haha!
So for you young ones, you only have one thing to do: Listen to your parents.
They definitely know what’s best for you.
I know I still have a lot of realizations to do, but for now, this is what I know, and I hope it would help you too!
Xoxo,
@thecouchpatatas