In Search of a Wisewoman -

Timing

American author Ursula K. Le Guinn (1929 -2018 ) said, “ There’s a point around the age of 20 when you have to choose whether to be like everybody else the rest of your life or make a virtue of your peculiarities. “ Catnip! “ I countered after reading the quote …. “speaking as a woman that it is closer to 30. Prior to the making a virtue of one’s peculiarities comes the danger of entitled rebellion which is tiresome as it lacks substance.” Someone else replied, “ If you don’t start then you won’t have developed skin thick enough to be truly authentic. You have to be willing to be embarrassed and embarrassing before you get it right.”

I gave this some thought and my reply was that while I laud authenticity, I value there being substance that is worthy of standing up and out. Begin too soon, it is like a mosquito in a tent. There is also the danger in entitlement that shuts down one’s ability to hear, observe, and learn from perhaps wiser points of view. Pausing might just avoid the embarrassment and the need of toughening of one’s skin, while developing character. The time for the training wheels to come off is when one has learned balance.”

One’s perspective is greatly altered depending on one’s age. The young are impatient to embark, to experience, to be heard. The aged are often weary, experienced and no longer heard. Vibrancy and new ideas can blow the dust off the stale and stagnant but impetuosity can lead to unnecessary risks when there is an unwillingness to listen more than speak until something is worthy of contributing. We all should seek to be authentic. I may have gone straight to eccentric, but one must attempt to not be offensive or problematic while making a virtue of one’s peculiarities.