Saturday, January 18, 2020

Talking to Myself

I stepped in front of the mirror, opened my eyes wider, for I was surprised to see within the glass my fourteen-year old self.   My immediate thought was,This is great!  I can tell him what he needs to know; give him the benefit of my experience, tell him what he needs to avoid. His eyes widened and a look of horror spread across his visage.

Fourteen-year old Self disappeared from my view and there looking back at me was, as I had expected, my eighty-five-year old Self. I hear footsteps receding down the hall, accompanied by a high-pitched scream of terror. They never listen, fourteen-year old Boys. And I might have saved him from himself.

Now wait just a dog-boned minute, Old Timer. Didn't your parents make a sincere effort to give you the benefit of their experiences when you were your fourteen-year old Self? And did you listen? No, you went right ahead on, headstrong and full of yourself and made your own mistakes.

3 comments:

Secondary Roads said...

It seems to be the typical pattern. I was no better.

vanilla said...

Chuck, rites of passage, and my right to make my own mistakes and so on. No wonder the human condition . . .

Secondary Roads said...

Even those of us who know [some] history seem destined to repeat it.