I ’ m going to ask you something , now it ’ s a question I don ’ t believe I would be the first one to ask , one that has been asked over the ages . So , ponder this for a moment , is it human nature , is it unavoidable . That to truly learn ourselves , evolve , we must blunder , make mistakes ? Or can we make swifter more effective progress in this evolution of aging , from birth to death by listening and learning more from our predecessors , elders , teachers . Are we teachable beasts who can evolve grow and thrive better we we are Taught ? Again , I don ’ t mean merely receive information , rather , help ourselves build a foundation from our life of knowledge and education that helps us move through life , avoiding many of the pitfalls , falling on our face , self-induced pain and suffering we incur , the bumbling around through the years that pass from youth to our ultimate demise . Can we evolve with age steadily , growing progressing and ultimately aging more effectively , as I see , looking back over the years …? I certainly could have .
As I look ponder over my life , as I think we all can we have so much available to us from the worlds wealth of knowledge , from our genes first off our parents or parent , teachers , our mentors , our elders and coaches . Sometimes many of those “ guides ” are all from just one person . If we are of a lucky few , to have that mentoring offered when we are pups , how many of us would have really and truly listened or paid attention ? Who knew that this information and teaching was vital and we would need it as we got older to avoid life ’ s many potential self-inflicted wounds , and to not make the same mistakes of those , who before us paved the way , the things which we had been warned against .
So , how many of us truly did that or had that mentoring available ? I know I had little guidance when I was very young but that which I did ; I certainly could ’ ve paid more attention . As I got older , especially leaving home at 14 , I was almost more resistant to it . I had to grow up very fast , thinking that my limited experience before then had me at my most effective readiness ; I was prepared and could face anything with my infantile , arsenal of life experience . My story is not unique I know , many of you probably experienced the same things . Having to leave home fend for yourself , having to grow up very fast in a very formidable environment from a very young age . Oh to be young again ! Youth , what a wondrous time !
Well then , I ’ m perspective , perhaps it ’ s the ignorance of the young , thinking when we are such an age , we think we know everything and have seen everything ? I believe that ’ s reinforced deeper into the psyche of those like me , who had to take on the responsibility of life while still a child . Perhaps it ’ s the innocence of youth because we ’ ve done very little , saw even less , and experienced only a drop in the bucket compared to what we will if we were too fast forward 20 or 30 years ? Yet , even this I believe reinforces that useful concept that our limited five block radius of life experience has provided all that we need and we certainly know rather we think we know so much more than we do .
As I ponder this , more so now in the last couple years , then ever before in my life . Coming up on 42 years this time around in this trusty meat suit , pretty much right when this article will be published . After considering all of my life to this point , those I ’ ve known who were there to teach me , all I ’ ve learned and continue to learn , from those who ’ ve come before me . My conclusion being , it ’ s simply , that all of that above ( ignorance , innocence and lack of experience ) is true . It is our human experience and we all MUST go through it to truly know it . However I ’ m convinced that we can go through it less scarred and more prepared for years ahead if we were to allow the teaching available or seek out teaching if it ’ s not available , to help us evolve effectively with ageing .
So where am I going with all this ? I know it ’ s a very broad and almost ambiguous statement about life , but the overarching concept here is everything that the experience , we must ACTUALLY learn from . Not just experience