On the 21st of this month I turned 20 years old. On the same note, my mother also had her birthday…but we’ll leave out the age part of it. Now that I have two decades under my belt, am I bigger, faster and/or stronger than I once was? Nope…decidedly not. Well, I am bigger, but definitely slower and my upper body strength is minimal, but I did save a bunch of money on my car insurance, so really, who’s the best now younger Josh?
Anyway, I have decided to share with you enlightened Bakerites some of the wisdom I’ve accrued over the last twenty years, ridiculous, asinine or jaw dropping as it may be. You’re welcome.
For the most part, people are nice, but one bad apple can give everyone food poisoning.
Relaxation is a key to a happy life. School is important, but so is having fun. Don’t let it stress you out to the point of breaking. If you have to turn an assignment in late in order to sleep for the first time in days, do it. Off the top of my head, I can’t think of a single class that is more important than my good health.
“Scrubs” and “The Office” are underrated. “Critically acclaimed” movies usually suck. Hard. “Balls” is one of the most versatile words in the English language. Have fun with it. The best part is it’s fat free.
Pictures drawn by my niece and nephew are, in my eyes, better than anything Leonardo da Vinci or Picasso ever did.
“Grey’s Anatomy” is overrated. Sports get too much attention in this society. Teachers get too little.
Tip your food service employees. Seriously, they need it. Plain and simple, water is still the best drink around.
Everyone screws up. Forgiveness is sometimes really hard, especially for stubborn folks like myself, but 99.9 percent of the time, the friendship is worth working the differences out for.
Books are a superb way to relax. Not enough people read. You know some of those really good movies? Well, they were books first. I’m not kidding.
Beards lend to your credibility. I’m not lying, asks your oral communication professor.
Jim Carrey is one of the most talented actors this generation has ever seen.
Learning another language is intense. It’s incredibly frustrating if you don’t understand, but just as rewarding when you do.
Friendship is rare. Do you know what I’m saying to you? Friendship is rare.
Don’t take yourself too seriously. No one will ever completely agree with you so it’s useless to try to make them.
While they are pretty ridiculous to sit through, the LA series is a good thing. Being able to look at things objectively can be a real asset.
Money isn’t everything; stop acting like it is. Buckle up. It isn’t hard and the rewards are worth it.
Finally, just use common sense in your day-to-day life. Don’t be ignorant of other people and they will, usually, return the favor.
In conclusion, I’m not really sure if any of these are applicable to the average Baker student, but I’m sure most of you could find some nugget you could use. Maybe after another 20 years I’ll be able to produce another list of wisdoms, hopefully more enlightening, but who knows? However, as many of my peers approach and surpass the mark of 20, what have you learned? Anything? For everyone’s sake, I hope so.
