Monday, December 29, 2008

Advice and Sympathy

Interestingly, I actually had a conversation yesterday afternoon a little like the one I typed out earlier that day. Except it was only about half as long and I really didn't get the opportunity to pass on all that wisdom I was prepared to impart. Even if I had, it wouldn't have been heard. Sometimes you have to learn things the hard way. My mom always used to say this to me when I'd seemingly make mistake after mistake after mistake, like waiting until the last minute to get a big project completed, or ... well, that's about all I can remember. Later I learned that if we didn't learn things the hard way, then we wouldn't really be living. Or if we would be living, it would be a very stale, mind-numbing lifestyle. I still don't see how it's possible to live and not make mistakes in the process. Not that me making mistakes has anything to do with my attempts to pass on advice. I just mean that if I try to pass on what I perceive to be helpful, it might just be stuck in a void somewhere, indefinitely, because the best advice I ever received was by seeking and getting it myself. I'm just going to write down my good advice and slide it under her door. Like a really good greeting/sympathy card. Maybe it'll go somewhere, maybe it won't.

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