What would 18 year old you think?
I read this the other day and it stuck in my mind. It’s from a speech by the author of The Black Swan, N.N. Taleb. Interesting notion. To go back to the beginning. 18 year old me was still sorting things out, so in my case we should ask 21 year old me. Twenty one was the age at which I pressed the red button. I came out, had my first boyfriend and moved to Spain (intent on never seeing anyone in my family again.) That was 1999. Here we are 18 years later and- well, here we are. Then me would approve of number 42, of Mike, and would have found the rest terribly predictable. Not very ambitious, drinks too much, thinks too much, plus ça change. I don’t think there’s an ultimate definition of success. It’s just getting what we want at a particular time, isn’t it? Over the years I’ve discovered that what I want most is simply to not be bothered. That and being surrounded by beautiful things.
Here’s Catherine Tate who also doesn’t want to be bothered:
My Mazamet 
Is it terribly rude of me to report that I couldn’t understand most of what Catherine was saying?? (I feel the same way the couple of times I tried to watch ‘Coronation Street’)
It’s that cultural deprivation of mine. 🙂
Success? Too many definitions!!
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Really? Have you ever heard a Glaswegian accent? Now that can be incredibly hard to decipher 🙂
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I do much better understanding French people; I’ve had the most exposure to them. Have no idea what a Glaswegian accent is, sorry!
And then, of course, the regional dialects here in Canada – I can usually pick them out in a crowd.
Oh, and Mr. M., if you’ve figured out what makes you happy I’d say that’s a definition of success I can relate to; sometimes it takes awhile to do just that. I think you are right, though – it’s about getting what a person wants at a particular time. I do think that the older one gets, one’s idea of success changes. At least it certainly has for me. I used to tie the idea of success to my career, but as I’ve aged, that’s no longer true. Now it’s more about happiness achieved, which has more to do with my home life and community involvement. Perhaps we all realize what most satisfies us and consider that more of an achievement.
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“Success is a great deodorant.”
― Elizabeth Taylor
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“It takes away all your past smells” 😉
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People will tolerate anything to be close to the successful, even the psychopaths amongst the latter. That’s why I follow you, Pink. 😮
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That’s the only reason *anyone* would follow me 🙂 Aside from robbery, obviously!
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18 year old me(1967) would be thinking only “Am I going to college or Vietnam? ” Different world. We thought about things of impact and importance. On the other hand, shortly thereafter main thoughts became “Where can I get some more LSD ?” also a matter of impact and importance.
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And was it college or Vietnam?
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Fortunately college but in some of the schools at which I taught when I became a teacher I felt perhaps I would have been safer in Vietnam.
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Carl, we got some of your draft dodgers as teachers in Canada! (along with some ‘back-to-the-landers who settled very close to where I still live)
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Not to be bothered and surrounded by beauty? We must have been separated at birth. 😉
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It’s the best we can hope for, isn’t it? 🙂
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Haha, truly. And lucky us to live in extraordinary places 😉
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Re: videos from you two fellas: I caught the profanity. 🙂 (that’s about it)
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Aged 18, I was thoroughly corrupted by the world: homophobic, transphobic, consumed with shame. Talib’s comments might apply to a person with a healthy upbringing, but not to me. I would completely terrify and bamboozle 18 year old me.
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Which from a different perspective might mean 18 y/o you might find Clare absolutely fascinating. Liberated.
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I wouldn ‘t want to be 18 again. All I wanted at 18 was to not be 18 any more. Why would I use 18 as some kind of a yard stick with which to measure the value of my life?
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I wouldn’t want to be 18 either!
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lol – high five!
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This was exactly what I needed today, what a positive influence you are! 😉
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Only on uneven days. On even days I’m a crystal meth pusher 😀
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My package hasn’t arrived, Pink. 😡
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I know! Meant to write to you. The delivery thingery is asking for a phone number.
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I don’t take phone calls from strangers. I’m curious about your last comment at Esme’s.
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Neither do I. Should I just make one up for you?
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?
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Actually, my comment about the ‘package’ was a reference to your Crystal Meth business, but you picked up a sub-text, clever thing. The French Post Office want a phone number? Give them this one: 020 7930 9000
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🙂
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Something about ‘taking’? Better not do it here.
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I have changed my opinion on several things since I was 18, but I have never changed my view on what I consider a good life. All in all, I think 18 year old me would have been happy.
It’s worth mentioning that I never had a rebellious phase in my teenage years which some consider a vital part of growing up. I was simply happy to relax in comfy chair after school, watching some silly tv show or reading a book.
Now, I’m happy to sit in a comfy chair after work, so nothing has really changed in that way. 🙂
A lot of 18 year olds seem to think that life is wasted if you don’t go out drinking alcohol every day, but 18 year old me would be perfectly happy to see me relaxing and enjoying life without any more of the party and drinking pressure I had to endure in my youth (though I guess I’m still in my youth).
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Ha! I was the drinking 18 year old! Now I’m the drinking 38 year old! 😀
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