(for M, J, L, E & D)
Life is far from easy. We all know that. Some days are bad, some days are worse. I don’t know why, but lately it seems that wherever I look, there’s trouble and heartache. Especially heartache. If Life is a Ship, then there’s definitely a storm blowing. And all around me friends are getting hit by the deck harder than a drunken sailor…
As a friend I try to listen and I try to help. With a glass of wine, a cup of coffee, or some honest advice. But it’s not easy. After all, advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.
You might recognize these words. They’re from a 1997 column by Mary Schmich in which she gave her version of a Guide to Life for Graduates. You probably know the musical adaptation by Baz Luhrmann better. It’s called Wear Sunscreen. (In fact, it's called Everybody's Free (to Wear Sunscreen), but no one says that)
I have always been a big fan of Schmich’s column (and Luhrmann's song). Sure, it’s a piece of comedy, but it’s also excellent advice – from ‘Wear sunscreen’ over ‘Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone’ to ‘Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours’. It’s really splendid advice and I frequently re-read it when going through a rough patch of life.
Years ago I also followed the one piece of advice from Schmich’s column that didn’t get into Luhrman’s song: the part where she encourages anyone over 26 to try and write their own Guide for Life. Here’s an updated version of it. If it doesn’t help, it probably won’t hurt either.
Of course, at the end of it, I have to repeat Mary Schmich’s one caveat.
If you succeed in doing this, please tell me how.
As a friend I try to listen and I try to help. With a glass of wine, a cup of coffee, or some honest advice. But it’s not easy. After all, advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.
You might recognize these words. They’re from a 1997 column by Mary Schmich in which she gave her version of a Guide to Life for Graduates. You probably know the musical adaptation by Baz Luhrmann better. It’s called Wear Sunscreen. (In fact, it's called Everybody's Free (to Wear Sunscreen), but no one says that)
I have always been a big fan of Schmich’s column (and Luhrmann's song). Sure, it’s a piece of comedy, but it’s also excellent advice – from ‘Wear sunscreen’ over ‘Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone’ to ‘Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours’. It’s really splendid advice and I frequently re-read it when going through a rough patch of life.
Years ago I also followed the one piece of advice from Schmich’s column that didn’t get into Luhrman’s song: the part where she encourages anyone over 26 to try and write their own Guide for Life. Here’s an updated version of it. If it doesn’t help, it probably won’t hurt either.
Think. Trust your instincts. Be honest, not naive. Work out. Read. Write. Don’t be afraid. Speak out in public. Try harder. Have faith. Help others. Take care of yourself. Don’t accept sweets from strangers. Respect nature. Use your head, but follow your heart. Nobody said it was going to be easy. Cry, and don’t you dare apologize for it. Get what you need, not what you want. Smoke once: quit forever. Hold your charm. Math is neither boring, nor useless. Talk to people. Listen too. Expect disappointments. Health is everything. Don’t make plans for the future: do stuff now. Alcohol is not a philosophy. Be patient. Let it go. Use good grammar. Mind the pedestrian. Read the small print. Never ignore anything. Believe in love, not in romance. Be a man about it. Your body has a soul too. Ask for help. Courage is not foolishness. Compassion is not weakness. Imagining people naked helps. Breathe. A broken heart does heal. Don’t overestimate logics. Steer clear of the drunk barber. Forgive. Be polite. Love dolphins. After all, what kind of a person doesn’t love dolphins? Be kind to children. Do the right thing. Remember. Be prepared. Keep focused. Dream. And above all, ask yourself: does it make me happy?
Of course, at the end of it, I have to repeat Mary Schmich’s one caveat.
If you succeed in doing this, please tell me how.
No comments:
Post a Comment