What I Wish I Knew at 18 - work in progress

 

Here is the introduction to my next book.

Introduction

Oh, if I only knew at 18 what I know now, my life would have been so much better! This is what many of us, older people wish for. We would trade in an instant everything we have, to be young once again, but with the wisdom we've gathered over a lifetime.

Yet, when we try to advise our children and grandchildren, so that they don't make the same mistakes, they don't want to listen. "Stop giving advice," they say. "Our world is so much different from yours."

I long for the time when elders were valued, respected, and listened to. But when I think of my own childhood and youth, I was equally deaf to advice and I regret that now. I realize that my parents were much wiser than I gave them credit for at the time.

It didn't help that my mother was not a patient teacher, preferring my sister and I out of the way so that she could make a meal or tidy up more efficiently. And when I did try to help, she often corrected my clumsy, childish attempts at sweeping the floor or washing the dishes, so I quickly gave up. Eventually, she did manage to teach me to knit and sew, and I'm grateful for that.

As my sister and I grew older, we spent Saturday mornings cleaning together with our mother, which was a rare time we had without my father hovering and micromanaging. He preferred to head into town Saturdays to shop for bargains. The only life advice I remember getting from my father, was to make plans.

Over the years, I searched for books to learn how to choose clothes that suited me, how to do my make up, and how to date. I read voraciously about marriage and raising children. When I married, my husband had to teach me how to cook and I was never a very good housekeeper. I'm afraid I made many mistakes along the way.

And so I hope, that if you are like I was and refuse to accept advice from your elders, you might find this book more to your liking. You can flip through the pages and read wherever you happen to land. I also left room for notes, so you can add your own wisdom and then perhaps pass the book to your own daughter or grand daughter.