When we are young life stretches out for ever -- old is what somebody else is. We have strength and vigour; late nights and excesses can be coped with. Live for today -- the future will take care of itself.
We eventually learn the truth but by that time a lot of damage has been done. The cry goes up: "If only I had listened." But can the young learn from being told? Without some experience words are just words.
If you want to pass on your wealth of knowledge from "been there, done that" you need to find a way to give the young the equivalent of a flu jag. A limited experience sufficient to provide a stimulus to learn that wises up its recipient without permanent damage.
Proverbs store the wisdom of ages in short, memorable lines with several layers of meaning. This blog states a weekly proverb and explores its meaning. Sir Winston Churchill, the former British Prime Minister, war leader, writer, painter, historian, bon viveur, whose mother was a United States citizen, recommended that people lacking formal education to learn proverbs. "The Wisdom of Nations lies in their Proverbs... Collect and learn them". William Penn, founder of the State of Pennsylvania.
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