Good Old Man Advice

Old guy here. The most shitty things as you go through life will be unique to you. My list is a list of shitty realizations that make you cringe about your own arrogance in your youth looking back…

Realizing after you turn 21 and can now drink that you were not really respected as an adult.

Realizing after you get married that married people don’t really consider single people who were never married adults.

Realizing after you buy a home and pay your own bills fully that people who own homes don’t consider people who rent or live with others to be adults.

Having children and then realizing that people who think their pets are their children are living a lie. Then you realize that people with children do not view people without children as adults.

Turning 40 and realizing you don’t think anyone under 30 is an adult.

Turning 50 and realizing that people without grey hair are not adults.

Turning 60 and realizing that people who have not buried their parents are not adults.

I think that covers it.

If I had it all to do over again, and I could go back remembering everything I know now. This would be my to-do list and top priority. I did some of these things, but not all.

Get out of my parent’s house right awayStudy accounting and finance because the language of capitalism is moneyLearn to play guitar because mastery of acoustic guitar provides portable entertainment for friends and makes everything better.Start my IRA/401k right away and contribute 10% of every dime I receive to it forever.Delay marriage until after I was 30 at leastRequire 12 weeks of counseling before getting marriedSame level of counseling before considering children to discover if I will really make a good parentSpend some time in the military before college so I would appreciate what we have and learn to discipline myselfRun and lift weights regularly my entire lifeLive in many different cities and live light with very, very few possessions. No reason for a home to have more than a campsite. Have small apartments that cost next to nothing, sleeping bag, toothbrush, some clothes, computer, that’s it. Any sentimental possession: trash it. You will eventually forget what it was from anyway and trash it later. Besides, you can’t take it with you.

I could go on. I got tired of typing with my cat rubbing my face.

Published by

Joel Gross

Joel Gross is the CEO of Coalition Technologies.