Dear Jessica Brennan,
Sometimes we think that time spent on the planet gives us the right to be in the know about everything and tell younger people what to do, but lately I’ve been thinking a lot about that.
Older people have more years, yes and therefore more perspective in some ways. But there are many times when the concentration of an experience can make you an expert (willingly or otherwise) long before you reach middle-age.
For example, when I was six I was in the hospital for a month with rheumatic fever. By the time I came home and entered into a 15 year daily double-dose of antibiotics, I knew more about rheumatic fever than any adult including my parents. I had lived it and continued to live with the fall-out of it well into my 30s. Being an adult did not give them more knowledge than a six year old with lived experience.
The same works for other things, gender issues, sexuality, race, prejudice, abuse. Just to name some. Being older doesn’t make you smarter about these things particularly if you haven’t experienced them. Even if you have, all experiences are different and all concentrations of experiences vary.
The best thing you can do as you age in my humble opinion is listen. Give advice sparingly and respectfully. Learn from kids the things you didn’t learn when you were young.
It is very easy to think you have all the answers just because of time spent. This tends to be incorrect plus it ignites a lot of eye-rolling and drives everyone crazy.
What I know for sure as I get older, is that I know less and less for sure.
Love,
Mum xo
