There are so many things I want to tell my 20 year old son. For him, it is too soon. His heart has not yet developed the quiet strength, his eyes are not yet discerning enough, his impatient mind has not yet learned to be still. He has grown in all these areas, but there are some things a dad just can’t say until much later.
I want to tell him to ignore the advice of the world, especially if it appears in an advertisement. He must learn to be critical of any promises that appear on tubes or bottles, such as “see results in 3 days” or “instantly makes you look younger.” I wish he could quickly become critical of any advice that comes from someone wanting to make money from his decision.
I want to tell him that everything he has learned so far is suspect. It is probably something out of his own or someone else’s imagination and is only loosely connected to reality. He must relearn all that he has learned, and then relearn it again. This is the joy of living, everything is new.
I want to encourage him to be curious, to have a yearning to discover, to constantly ask “why?” I want to tell him that when using a scroll or bandsaw, always focus about one-fourth inch in front of where the blade meets the line you are following.
I want to be able to tell him to always look a second time when driving into an intersection. Magical vehicles appear out of thin air.
I want to tell him to always distrust the opinion or information given him by someone who is certain. This is especially to be applied to anyone who begins a sentence with “I believe……”
I want him to know that it is greater to love than be loved.
And there is so much more.