I have often heard it said that “with age comes wisdom.” I do believe that is true, in most cases. I like to think I am a bit wiser about many things as a result of my many trips around that big ball of gas in the sky. I think more than just “age,” experiences are probably the better source of wisdom. I saw a couple of examples of this in the last couple of weeks. I heard some words of wisdom come from some very young people. Words that seem to defy their relatively young years.
I recently attended the MCHS Softball and Volleyball banquet. The keynote speaker was a young lady I have had the pleasure of getting to know well over the past few years. I’m sure most of you are familiar with Hallie Wetherington. She has been writing a column that has usually appeared in the upper left-hand corner of this page (that’s prime real estate on a newspaper page!). I have enjoyed watching and reading about her growth over the years she has spent in college. I have seen her grow during the summers and breaks while she worked with us. When she was speaking to the younger players and drawing on her experiences, she told them, “Work just as hard at being a good person as you do at playing softball, and you will be unstoppable.” That’s something any of us can put into our own lives.
Another “pearl of wisdom” came from another relatively young person who posed the question, “Are you tired? Good! That means you showed up. Messed up? Congratulations, that just means you’re growing. Healing isn’t always a straight line and progress isn’t always a firework. Sometimes it’s a flicker, and that’s okay.” You can’t find that kind of good stuff in a fortune cookie.
I have learned that words of “wisdom” can come from anyone of any age, young or old. I think we would do well to listen. Perhaps that’s another sign of wisdom, here on the Sunny Side.