I grew up in a household where my parents were a part of The Silent Generation. Things were done a certain way and although it may have appeared as archaic, there seemed to be a lot of common sense to the whole approach.
My parents let me handle my affairs by myself for the most part and stayed out of my way. No doubt I was lucky and avoided numerous near misses. I could have been killed or injured someone else with my careless actions. However, those experiences were instrumental to my learning, growing and evolving over the years. I wouldn’t have the wisdom I have today unless I had gone through those first hand.
It would seem to me, we have to allow the youth of today to do the same.
No doubt, we can learn from those who came before us. And yes, we have more information at our fingertips than we could ever have imagined years ago, but let’s not dismiss the “old ways” as irrelevant too quickly.
There’s no life hack for hard work. For painful life-lessons. For growing pains, direct experiences, fortitude and tenacity. These are the ingredients that make up the characteristic dish called grit.
Some things just shouldn’t be avoided. Even though they can be difficult, uncomfortable and frightening.
They should be experienced fully.