Six Things before Eighteen
Sophia has tagged me with this question, “Six things to do before you reach 18″. Every generation complains about the younger one behind it but somehow we haven’t yet reverted to primeval goo so they must be turning out basically alright. Most of the problems arise because the politicians want to get involved in child rearing, a job that I suspect requires the personal touch rather than dogma. Anyway, based on my personal experiences here is my selection :
Do something selfless
Get involved in a charity fund raising event or help elders in your area.
Find your personal passion
Find a hobby or interest that inflames your personal passion and throw yourself into it, the personal rewards are character building.
Discover your musical taste
Music is the food of love, it can transport us to another place and fire our imagination. Everyone’s taste is different so experiment to find yours.
Learn the history of your homeland
People have lived and died so that you can live in freedom, learn about them and what it means.
Learn to take responsibility for another
Take care of your younger sibling or a pet, learn what is required to have responsibility for another life.
Get a summer or part-time job
Your parents work hard to give you what you have, its time you got a taste of what will be required of you one day. A mundane menial job will remind you of what will happen if you don’t work at your studies.
Thanks Wolfie. These are things I could have thought of except, somehow, for Music. I have a difficult relationship to Music. I love Music, and I am not eclectic. Margueritte Duras wrote once in ‘the Lover’: I so mcuh love Music that the moment I listen to it it makes me cry’. This descriibes pretty much my relation to Music.
And take aptitude and personality tests. Changing career in midstream is very difficult.
I like your set of six.
I tried to think up some smart aleck reply but couldn’t think of anything to add.
By the way, I wish you’d take that beach photo of your wife away. I’m having a tough enough time as it is without falling in love with friends’ wives.
What about get served in a pub ,see an 18 rated movie and get laid…
Sackerson,
I’m not convinced that aptitude tests achieve anything much whereas a good upbringing coupled a rich set of experiences provide a good awareness of one’s abilities. As some fellow once said “A man’s gotta know his limitations”. We seem to spend too much energy telling the young they can do anything they want, so unsurprisingly have spawned a generation of mediocrity.
Mutley,
Pubs, movies and sex will arrive with or without any suggestions from me.
James,
I’ll upload some more puritanical photos right away.
18? That reminds me, must go and see “The Bucket List” this week.