As kids, we took a lot of the advice our parents gave us and threw it out the window. And that’s fine, we were kids. The strange thing is, as you grow older, you encounter situations that reminds you of some of their common sayings, things that felt pointless at the time yet hold massive importance today.
Things like these.
As kids, we’re mostly shielded from the financial ups and downs of our family’s lives. It’s only later that we realise just how hard it is to pay the rent, manage a family and handle overheads.
Our folks would often tell us to get some fresh air if we were glued to the TV. Now that we’re stuck in desk jobs for the better part of the day, playing outside sounds like a distant pipe dream.
This flew right over our heads as kids. As you get older though, you realise time goes by waaaaay faster than it did before. It’s a weird, sucky realisation.
All of us had a few assholes as teachers in school and college. We also had some highly intelligent, kind and supporting ones (teachers, not assholes) who really kindled our interest in those subjects and in learning at large. And then there were the professors you hated at the time, but later realised really helped you in numerous ways.
The people you hang with is important. Life is about bettering yourself, and that’s a lot easier if you chill with people you also respect and who’s qualities you aspire to emulate.
As you grow up, you get busy with your job and other commitments. In the process you don’t realise that your folks are getting older. Spend more time with them, before it’s too late.
This one really pissed me off as a kid, but it also instilled a fundamental thought process inside me – don’t be sheep. Think for yourselves and be your own person. Otherwise, you’re just part of the mob.
As kids, the most important thing is acting grown up. When you hit your twenties though, that suddenly doesn’t feel all too great.
From dinners with your entire extended family to ‘boring’ shopping escapades, things definitely start seeming a lot more pleasant once you’re older.
Remember how you couldn’t wait to start doing grown up things instead of basically chilling through most of the days? Yeah, me neither.
It takes time to realise that their job as a parent isn’t to please you, it’s to mould you into a wholesome person.
When you start living on your own and end up eating vada pav 3 times a day, those ‘nasty’ green veggies suddenly start sounding a lot more palatable.
There’s no better feeling than realizing ‘oh damn! there’s so much time in the day!’. I’m not saying at the crack of dawn, but just a decent hour a.k.a. before noon.
Design credit: Sanil Modi