I may be creating a never ending spiral by posting this but... it got me thinking. And frankly as meme's go, this isn't the worst one...A friend from high school wrote a post with the identical title - Young Me/Old Me wherein she referenced another mutual friend from high school who wrote I think I've turned into a wuss.My high school friend, Jason, wrote in I think I've turned into a wuss:
I have been missing the belief that I can do anything. I have been missing the realization that I was not stuck in a rut. I have been missing the desire to be creative, be exploratory, be expressive and cling to God with my life in obedience. I wondered what happened to Young Me who spent hours in the driveway on Mockingbird Drive pretending he was in the NBA. Young Me played ball until he couldn’t even see the rim. Young Me also had a back story for all his toys. Young Me had a spaceship made out of a bush that grew next to two oak trees and had half of a cinder block for the commander’s chair. Young Me didn’t care what others thought. Young Me rocked.
My high school friend, Erin, wrote in Young Me/Old Me:
“Aren’t the 30s weird? Like we’ve done all the things we’re supposed to do, gone to school and gotten jobs and started families, and at any moment it could all explode. We could all go back to square one. And it wouldn’t be that bad.”
And
What did your Young Me do that your Old Me doesn’t?Young Me decorated the pages of my journals with paint and crayons.Young Me laughed the loudest and didn’t care.Young Me tossed out unsolicited opinions.Young Me watched movies alone.Young Me went jogging any old time, not concerned about when the last time I went jogging.Young Me painted my favorite quotes on my walls.Young Me hugged everyone.Young Me danced without drinking first.Young Me climbed trees.My Young Me rocked, too. I could probably stand to be a little more like my Young Me.
So this makes me start thinking about Erin's young her because ... well I knew her for part of that time. Which then makes me think of young me... How have I changed? How have the 30's changed me? For all intents and purposes, these are the best days of my life! I mean it, truly. I am happier and healthier and fitter and more content with my life today than I was as "young me."Let us compare, shall we:
|
Young Me
|
Old Me
|
| Nervous and scared | Confident |
| Shy and awkward | Outgoing (can I say confident again?) |
| Really cared what other people thought of me | Can I say confident again? |
| Unfettered by debt | Fiscally aware |
| Longing for something more | Content with my life |
But here's the thing... what both blogs said is true. The 30's are weird. I'm on a precipice of life but I have already lived so much. I have experienced so much but there is a lot to come. Children and adventures, all sorts of things. So... let's do the exercise...
What did your Young Me do that your Old Me doesn’t?Young Me burned 30 candles in my room while pretending to play guitar without fear that I the music I made was horrid (it was).Young Me sang along to old show tunes records at the top of my lungs. (And by records, I mean REAL vinyl!)Young Me was fearless on the stage when Young Me couldn't be fearless in real life.Young Me kept trying new things (guitar, violin, painting, drawing, dancing, gymnastics, life guarding).Young Me found time to have fun no matter what (with my brother, or my parents, or my friends, or myself).
Young Me did rock. I am proud of who I was. But I am also proud of who I have become. I am SO thankful to Erin and Jason for starting me on this thought path. While my inference may have been slightly different, the thought is the same... don't forget the simple pleasures in life but do stop listening to the little voice in your head that tells you no no no because you are over 30!