Going through our archives, we came across this great post from April 5, 2013 “Advice to Young People” that we wanted to share in case you missed it the first time around.
Since all young people obviously need advice from me, here is four minutes of it.
Or, in one word: Chill.
Thank you Doc.
Easy for you to say! You’ve got a great thing going. Probably had great people to support you. Me, not so much. My mother is super negative and every day rubs my 1 mistake in my face. I didn’t do drugs, I didn’t catch a disease, I didn’t commit a crime.. I simply chose Philosophy as a major….and the consequences aren’t just ruining me.. but it is ruining her. I won’t go into details and bore ya.
But yes, while something like breaking up is not serious, in these times other things are. It’s easy for you to just say “go find a job”… but like I said, economy is different. And given my “identity” it is even more difficult for me.
You positive folks just will never get it, you’ve been down, you got out, but Some people die and never get out. I have only one door… only one more method to try and save my life which was destroyed the moment i decided to pursue Aristotle… if that door closes. I will die a nobody, good for nothing, with a mother who is livid and bitter. I don’t have siblings. The rest of my family don’t care. I don’t have many friends.
All i have is hope. Hope that God is real and he will help me get to through this door.
Ronda is my big motivator, she is the reason I’m still trying.. but she will never know i exist or give two fucks about me if i die. So in the end what do I have, if my hope fails? Nothing.
Everyone gives advice like it is so easy…when really it is so difficult it is next to impossible. If I succeed it will be sheer blessings and I will never freaking do something stupid (i hope.. im not perfect as you said).
I wish I could go back in time and listen to my mom.
i wish my problem was a chocolate, or an ex lover, or something stupid like a bully at school. I would literally take a bully. I used to have bullies and i never felt like the world was ending. But for the first time in my life, even when I was a great kid with incredible grades… I made the stupidest mistake which seemed small and the results are catastrophic. Just last week i wanted to die. The only reason I haven’t killed myself is 1. hope 2. because it would leave my mother with all the bad baggage and I have her one injustice and she doesn’t deserve to struggle alone. 3. No matter what, in any part of me can i stomach EVER EVER dying via suicide knowing she was disappointed in me.
I’m sorry Doc, but I can’t so easily brush off the most crucial piece of my life. Not every problem is the size of a relationship.
It’s easy for me to say? I was in foster care, juvenile hall, divorced from my first husband – my second husband broke his back in an accident, deteriorated for several years and then died leaving me with three small children and tens of thousands of dollars in medical bills, funeral bills. It is good you have hope – and you should. You’re young, you’re obviously smart and articulate. Everyone makes mistakes and AT THE TIME these mistakes seem like a huge deal. Here is the wonderful thing about life, though – it goes on. There’s nothing wrong with choosing philosophy as a major. I actually know two people who did. One is a philosophy professor. The other manages a restaurant. They both seem happy enough. I don’t know you but I am old enough and have been down enough dark paths to know this – there is ALWAYS a choice. There is always more than one path and paths twist in unexpected ways.