Posted by It’s not uncommon for adults (of which I suppose I’m one) to look at youngsters and shake their head in amazement at the callow decisions of youth. But I’m of the opinion that “youth is wasted on the young” is not but so much detritus.
What is youth if it is not wasted to some extent; to serve as fodder for experience. The path to equilibrium, to maturity comes not without making mistakes, lots and lots of mistakes.
One of my favorite TV episodes of all-time is a Star Trek: The Next Generation episode called Tapestry. (Bear with me if you’re not a Trekkie, ok). In it, Captain Picard is injured and because of an artificial heart he had to get as a result of a bar fight as a cadet, he dies. In death, the character Q comes to him and offers to let him live his life over again, free from the rash and reckless decisions he made as a youngster. Picard goes back and doesn’t get into that bar fight.
As a result, his life turns out much differently. He leads a safe life. Instead of becoming Captain, he is stuck as a competent but safe mid-level science officer with no prospects for advancement or leadership. In his newfound frustration, Picard calls out to Q to let him go back again, that he would rather get into that fight, be reckless as a kid, become Captain and even die than live that safe life. The second time around, he gets into the fight; fast forward and the injury to his artificial heart actually doesn’t kill him.
In the denouement of the episode, Picard speaks to his first officer, Riker, of his youth. He says that there are parts of his youth of which he isn’t proud; loose threads. But when he pulled on one of those threads, it unravelled the tapestry of his life.
It may not be so bold as getting stabbed in the heart but I remember getting cold sweats on a flight to Abu Dhabi, thinking there was no way I was ready to lead a brand new ESM team. I had leapt before looking but ultimately the pressure of the situation brought out the best in me. I made it through that experience and it ranks as one of the best bold decisions I ever made. In short, youth is to meant to be ‘wasted’ on the young lest we become old before our time.
