My mom always says, “Llévate de mí” because “El que se lleva de consejos, muere de viejo.” Okay, bear with me here. Basically, the equivalent to that in English would be “Take my advice” because “He/she who hears no advice will not reach old age.” I know she hates it when I defy (some of) her philosophies, but I wholeheartedly disagree with taking others’ words for it.
Don’t get me wrong, I do listen to older people’s tips; after all, they have sort of been there and done that. But you know how that other saying also goes: “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” Now, that’s more like it. You can try and imagine being in someone else’s shoes, but it’s still fantasy, not reality. You can’t possibly truly hear the truth through other people’s ears; you can’t quite really learn through other people’s experiences. You have to live it yourself. Good or bad. I know, the bad part sucks. But I think it is more gratifying in the end.
Evidently, it is common sense that some things may have the same end result for everyone — like pregnancy in women, for instance — and our elders cannot be mistaken. But for the most part, things won’t go the same for everyone. Life is weird as hell, and the same experience that caused your mom years of misery may end up being the best time of your life. I don’t know, I don’t think I have even lived half of my life yet to qualify me to say this, but it makes sense that the experiences you go through is what’s going to teach you the best lessons. So go out there and LIVE! It’s the only way you’ll have a fulfilling life.
