The son of a friend of mine had a birthday recently.
This is the (slightly edited) text of the e-mail I sent him.
As you are turning twelve, I wanted to give you two pieces of advice.
First, cherish the coming year and live every day as if it will never end. You are twelve, and twelve is the last year you have before the teenage years.
Second, never give up on LEGO. When I turned twelve, my mother decided, not unreasonably, that I no longer needed LEGO castles and spaceships and pirate ships. No, I was old enough for Technic models with gears and engines. Yes, they were okay. Yes, I enjoyed building them. But no, they just weren’t as much fun. I wanted castles and spaceships and pirate ships. When your mother asks you what kind of LEGO you want and you tell her Ninjago (to pull one example out of the air), don’t settle for Technic. Never give up on LEGO.
And third, listen to Roy Orbison. The man had a voice that still gives me shivers.
Yes, I realize that I said I had two pieces of advice. Orbison transcends advice.
Have a fantastic birthday, young master. Enjoy cake and ice cream and and chasing fireflies and time with your friends. It’s your magical day, and live it fully, as if it will never, ever end.
The last line, I like it.
That should be a philosophy.
Today is a magical day. Live it fully, as if it will never, ever end.
Peace.
Awesome email.
Congrats for having the courage to write it.
Playing with Lego is one of those things that, as you say, should never be forsaken in our quest for “being grown up”.
Technic is fun but much more “serious” and “mature” (ie less fun) than the sets with minifigures.
I quote this far too much, but it is really accurate :0)
“When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.”- CS Lewis.
Cheers
Inger
I don’t envy him having to go through his teenage years. Personally, it was a really awkward time for me so I think that it was good advice that you gave him there about cherishing the next year.