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Why You Need To De-Mature As You Age
Ideas on aging from an occasionally youthful GenXer
I was fearless as a kid. I went on the scariest rides at theme parks. I clamored for scary stories. In sixth grade, I asked out a girl, unafraid of any possible rejection.
As the years progressed, I accumulated baggage. I got sick on a roller coaster and vowed never ride them again. I experienced the first of many rejections; it stung, so I avoided situations that risked rejection.
Some might call my slow transformation the result of collected wisdom. But that’s just a lie we tell ourselves to feel better about the truth.
I became more afraid as I aged. I didn’t want to be that way, but that’s what happened. Recently, I’ve vowed to fight it, to turn back the clock on years of accumulated fear.
Remember when you were naive?
You take a lot of bumps and bruises to reach your goals, only to realize it wasn’t worth it
Twenty-five years ago, I hadn’t faced many disappointments. I was too dumb to realize the dispassionate indifference of the world. I acted accordingly. In my late teens, I asked people to sign petitions on a variety of issues. In my twenties, I cold called…
