The New York Times ran an article entitled "Things you learn by the time you're 40". Here's an excerpt with (my comments):
1. There are no grown ups
I find great satisfaction knowing this. It has helped me throughout my career. Everybody is just trying to figure it out. Some do it more confidently. (Managing staff is very similar to managing the 6th graders I taught years ago. Okay ... I admit it ... I watch cartoons now and then and ... yes ... I keep a binkie in my desk at work. So? Wanna make something of it?)
2. Just say "no".
Not drugs ... lunch. Never suggest lunch with people you don't want to go to lunch with. Surprise! They probably won't be disappointed. (But ... the guy who wrote this is obviously not married. I said no to Debbie in 1998 I think. She still holds that against me.)
3. You find your tribe.
No longer caring about being with the cool people, you are much happier with your people. (Since my people grew up in New Orleans and are usually in a casino or a bar or in prison, I have adopted other people that I call my own).
4. More about you is universal than not universal.
This really means that we are 95% the same as everybody else and 5% unique. Knowing that is a little disappointing but also a bit of a relief. (Actually, I think it depends on your definition of unique. My family was weird, but I would prefer to say ... unique. Um ... maybe more than 5% of the time.)
The next article should be "Things you learn by the time you're 60". It would be brief.
1. You're old.
2. Nobody really cares what you learned.
3. I never realized how many times I could pee in one night.
I find great satisfaction knowing this. It has helped me throughout my career. Everybody is just trying to figure it out. Some do it more confidently. (Managing staff is very similar to managing the 6th graders I taught years ago. Okay ... I admit it ... I watch cartoons now and then and ... yes ... I keep a binkie in my desk at work. So? Wanna make something of it?)
Not drugs ... lunch. Never suggest lunch with people you don't want to go to lunch with. Surprise! They probably won't be disappointed. (But ... the guy who wrote this is obviously not married. I said no to Debbie in 1998 I think. She still holds that against me.)
No longer caring about being with the cool people, you are much happier with your people. (Since my people grew up in New Orleans and are usually in a casino or a bar or in prison, I have adopted other people that I call my own).
This really means that we are 95% the same as everybody else and 5% unique. Knowing that is a little disappointing but also a bit of a relief. (Actually, I think it depends on your definition of unique. My family was weird, but I would prefer to say ... unique. Um ... maybe more than 5% of the time.)
1. You're old.
2. Nobody really cares what you learned.
3. I never realized how many times I could pee in one night.
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