I recently spent some time with an 18 year old. It was funny to watch as she first worked really hard to show me she was my peer or possibly even superior to me! She was eager to tell me everything she knew about child care and age appropriate toys and behaviors and things kids should or shouldn't do.
As I listened to her I really didn't think much about it. Somethings I agreed with, somethings I didn't. Mostly I just realized that she was a young person very sure of herself and I am an older person who knows enough to know- I don't know it all!
The funny thing was later hearing N's perspective! She was very cautious at first. "I noticed you were talking to her a lot." As soon as I said, "well, she was sharing a lot" N said "yeah, you just shook your head and said 'oh and yeah' really." She said, I was listening to her and thinking "should you be sharing all that with someone you don't know?"
The thing is, I still over share at times, even at 33. So I understood this girl, but in speaking to Dash and N recanting the conversation, I realized, I'm not an 18 year old know it all anymore! I finally get it! I finally realize what my parents meant and said when they would say "someday you'll understand." I was so sure that I understood then! I have an 11 year old and a 7 year old so I have years of the "know it all" life to go through. I can hardly wait! Maybe I'll learn a thing or two! :)
4 comments:
I'm sure you will learn a thing or two. :)
I wish I could know it all again. I'm back in the "I don't have a clue" phase.
I never saw myself as a "know it all." I've always considered myself "clueless" (even when I was 18.)
I think I've become less secure with my know it all-ness as I've gotten older too. I've never been bold about sharing my opinions if there is controversy involved, but I'm prone under stress to share "too much" with someone I don't know well like a valve release. I think I come more and more to realize I don't know it all.
I think it's a good thing to realize that you don't know it all. Nobody knows it all. The scary thing is if someone never realizes.
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