Almost 30 years ago, on the stairwell of McMaster University, one of my engineering students - his lip quivering - asked me, "Does it get any easier?"
I replied, "No John, it just gets weirder."
This question is still asked by students. The answer is mostly the same.
Some things are always difficult: grief and loneliness, moving, watching loved ones make bad decisions, letting go of destructive friends, making big decisions around jobs and family, getting meaningful experience and a foothold in a career path -- all difficult.
ReplyDeleteSome things that were once hard do get easier, but only with practice: public speaking, sudoku, saying no, saying yes.
Hey Lil, you messaged me on TED. I once asked my father a similar question after we had both returned from a funeral. I asked him if the awkward sadness of such events ever got easier? (I was 15, he was 35) He responded, "As you get older, you realize that it's awkward for everyone, not just you and you can take some comfort in that". -I thought it was sound advice.
ReplyDeleteNice blog, I like the premise. Stop by hubski when you can :)