I’m still decompressing from NLS8 and trying to gather my reflections into something more coherent than a long rambling sentence without any punctuation, so Kathryn’s writing prompt is just what I needed to do a spot of writing. The questions are:
- If you could go back and tell your 20 year old self one thing that was going to happen to you between then and today, what would that be?
- In 20 years time (presuming the world gets better, not worse) what do you think will be the biggest technological difference between your life now and your life then ?
Well my 20 year old self was a red hot sweaty mess. So I would tell them that life will change, it won’t be easy, and it will also be spectacular. As a 20 year old I was so unprepared and unable to cope with the demands of life. I was working, renting, in a relationship, but my mental health wasn’t great and I didn’t know. I just thought life was really really really hard all the time. It would be tempting to give myself a heads up on what lies ahead, but you know, I wouldn’t. Because life has been all those things I just wrote, but they got me to here. All the twists and turns and unexpected friendships, moves, jobs, sadness, joys, frustrations… I love the person my life experiences have created.
Technology in 20 years time? I don’t think technology is going to change that much in the next 20 or so years. Maybe driverless cars? This isn’t something I think about much as it’s easier to marvel at where we have come from, rather than what is ahead, for me anyway. Wish I had a longer answer for this, maybe I should ask my children!
The more I hear from people with mental health issues about how hard a day can feel, the more I realise how I am surrounded by everyday heroes. I’m so glad life got easier for you.
Do ask your kids. I think as a child I wanted the same thing from the future I want now: publicly accessible Willy Wonka chocolate factories.
Thanks Ruth 🙂 As a child I wanted to live in the Magic Faraway Tree – am quite sure my children have different dreams!