18

I was asked to list 6 things one should do before turning 18. 

It took me forever to think of six, but here goes. 18 is basically end of school years, and I think very fondly of this time of my life. I think school years help shape up one’s personality more than we expect. Later on in life, one tends to change, to adapt to life around him, but as time goes by, you feel that you are rediscovering your true self. And to me, my true self is very similar to what made up that little girl, sitting on the church steps in her school, exchanging life experiences with a bunch of her girlfriends over zait w za3tar sandwiches.

So what ARE the six things I believe every person SHOULD do before turning 18?

-         Find your best friend;

School best friends ARE the best. No matter how far or how close you are, no matter how often or how rarely you communicate, and even after years of separation, you KNOW, you can just take your phone and call her , spill your heart out and she WILL understand!!

-         Learn a second language;

Not only because it’s much easier to learn when you’re younger, but also because you get exposed to a whole different culture at a very early age.

-         Climb a tree and stay there;

Spend an hour, think, meditate, ponder upon life. Forget about your spring allergies and your puffy eyes, once you’re older it won’t be that easy to find a tree that welcomes you..in fact it would be cruel to the trees!

-         Discipline yourself to sit down and read through a whole book;

While this seems to be taken for granted by some, reading does not come naturally to all, and as you grow older, you only get busier so if you’re not into reading at an early age, chances are you never will be.

-         Learn about Compassion;

Feel for others and help them. Give some of your time, effort and money to helping others and learn that it could feel just as good as receiving.

 -         Stand up for yourself;

And for others who you think are right and need your support. Learn to speak up your mind. Adopt a cause, even if it was pushing the math test till Monday, rally for support, and get things done your way. Be strong and in control.

There, this concludes my wisdom of the day.

February 2008