When facing your age...

So recently this week I decided that I wanted to train to become a life guard...this was sort of an aspiration I had from youth, the thought had never crossed my mind since... The reason for this sudden decision was because a new friend of mine, who is a life guard, had kind of turned me on to the idea....
(I swear, I hate to admit it but I can be real impressionable sometimes.)

Anyway I realized/decided that this was something that I could and was going to do...until a friend of mine said "Isn't that something that you should have done when you were like 14, you're 20, aren't you a bit old?" I sat there with a blank face and she continued "you'll be in like a class with little children..."

now I don't know how this will work out but besides that, those comments got me thinking...there are a lot of things I wish I had done growing up that I didn't do, because I was either too afraid of what people would think of me, if I was going to get teased by other kids...(i know, i know sob story moving on)! Now that I'm older I want to do everything and as long as I'm able bodied I can damn well do it! I don't give two shits what people think...

But facing your age is a real difficult matter. It's something that attacks your pride and sometimes dignity. When I was in gr12 I had to take gr10 history. Walking into that class was the most embarrassing thing I've done. I looked at these kids thinking God what am I doing here...Every time one of them came to me asking "wait, how old are you, what grade are you in?"  I felt like crap, and wanted to dropkick them into a poster of Sir John a MacDonald in the history classroom...

but this was something that HAD to be done...

...or else I wouldn't have graduated. So I stuck it out...made friends with some real cool youth that had amazing potential and who are going to go far...now imagine if I had made my pride get the better of me. I wouldn't have gotten my High School Diploma...and I probably would have been even more miserable than then.

So, is there anything you wish you could have done when you were younger? are you able to do it but the only thing standing in your way is the feeling in the age gap you share with the people around you? just do it...I don't necessarily now how I'm going to feel if I have to do this Life Guard course with kids but I'll tell you when and if I come to it...and hell, even if I do you know what? I'll be a certified Life Guard/Swimming Instructor!

until next time friends Peace and Love   -Nate