27 Things I have Learned in 27 Years
I turned 27 recently (like last month but it took me ages to write this post!). Yikes, how did that even happen! So in honour of me orbiting the sun 27 times and becoming infinitely wiser for it, I thought that I would share some important life lessons with you (because clearly, I am a fount of all knowledge not just some clueless 27 year old utterly perplexed by the complexity of life).
Material possessions aren’t all they're cracked up to be. Tyler Durden was right when he said ‘the things you own end up owning you’. Instead, quality time with quality people has become precious to me. But how does one quantify quality? F**k knows, it’s a very personal thing I guess, but it’s pretty obvious Covidiots are not quality people.
Autumn and Spring are the best seasons, and it’s because they are seasons of change. Life and Death are encapsulated in the blooming of flowers and the decay of leaves. These seasons help us to remember that nothing stays the same for long so cherish the present, or if your having a tough time know that it will pass.
I’m not actually that bad. I used to hate myself, perhaps it was the usual teen/young adult angst or maybe it was depression. Either way, I used to avoid social events because I felt I would run out of things to talk about (forgetting that it’s not my sole responsibility to hold up a conversation) or that people would find me utterly lacking in all possible ways one can utterly lack.
Books are the best - I learnt this pretty early in life.
I know what I want to do in my life. It has taken me 27 years but I finally know! I may have my head in the clouds but I really want to write a book (or several if I’m any good) and I want to direct films. Obviously, I will have to start small and probably with no funding and amateur actors but I’m inspired by filmmakers like Hong Sangsoo (the king of Korean Indie cinema) or Thomas Vinterberg (Festen) and Yorgos Lanthimos (Dogtooth) whose early films were super low budget but absolutely fantastic. I also feel like I have it in me to direct because I’ve been obsessed with movies pretty much ever since I can remember and I love how films can combine stories and visuals symbolically.
Coffee is essential to life. If you don’t drink coffee are you even alive right now?
Smart is the new sexy. Cerebral conversations can be seductive, and a good spot of verbal sparring is an absolute aphrodisiac. I used to think that I should dumb myself down to get people to like me but I am totally over that. I am a nerd and proud.
Don’t always pretend you’re ok. Sometimes you need to ask for help and that’s completely fine.
Nature is epic. I love trees, mountains, oceans, animals and everything else within the natural world (except maybe those flies that burrow into people’s eyes, natural disasters and diseases). And spending time in the ‘great, infinite scream’ (Edvard Munch really summing up the power of nature here) of nature is humbling, nurturing and awe-inspiring. And let’s not forget, David Attenborough, what a magnificent bastard, if it wasn’t for his documentaries and unwavering defence of the natural world I don’t think I would be as in love with nature as I am now.
Not choosing is a choice, and it’s most often the worst choice. I am a typical Libra, indecisive to a fault. And because I find it so hard to decide on or choose things I often do nothing which ends up making everything more complicated and rather infuriating. Don’t let life happen to you, make some damn choices and be in control of your future. Or in as much control as possible, given that life, is really just a stab in the dark half the time. Life is essentially Polonius behind the curtain in Hamlet.
Getting older is a luxury. 15,000 young children die every day. Let that sink in.
I can cook, kind of. It’s been a running joke in my family that I am a terrible cook ever since I cracked two eggs straight onto the floor while trying to bake a cake. However, fast forward several years and a decade or two in the midst of a pandemic I have undergone a metamorphosis akin to the to Butterfly. Now, I’m by no means Michelin star-worthy but people don’t wretch when they eat my food anymore, so that’s progress.
It’s really hard to think of all the things you’ve learnt in 27 years of life.
Education is a lifelong pursuit. Our education system here in the UK is pretty flawed and there are so many things you don’t learn at school (hello life skills!). Our History lessons are probably the most biased, all through school you learn about Romans (but only what they did in Britain!), WWI & II, the same medieval stuff over and over again, Henry VIII, maybe a term on the civil rights movement but that’s about it. It wasn’t until university that I learnt about European colonialism and how fucked up it was and still is. We never really learnt about world history, like what about the Mongolian Empire, The Ottoman Empire, The Crusades, The Aztecs, The Gupta Empire? Maybe the school curriculum has changed in the last 10-15 years (yikes I’m getting on a bit). If so then thank goodness for that, but I am still kinda pissed that I had to suffer through what felt like a millennium on The Dark Ages!
I can’t dance, but I like doing it anyway, as long as no one is around.
I need to learn to finish things. I am a serial juggler. I have multiple books I’m reading at any one time, I have multiple story ideas I’m working on, blog ideas too. Learning one language isn’t enough so I flit between three. I start so many different things but I hardly ever finish them! This needs to stop!
We live in the Matrix. Just kidding…or do we? We’ll never know!
9 out of 10 concerns are unfounded.
Humans are basically plants. We need shelter, water, food and nurturing.
Drinking warm water is the winter survival hack to end all winter survival hacks. I always used to get so dehydrated in the winter because I would avoid drinking water as it makes you cold. So a few years back I decided to start drinking warm water. My life has never been the same since!
Small pleasures are everything. Dancing around the kitchen while cooking dinner, watching the sunset while sipping on a glass of wine, reminiscing about a shared memory with a loved one, reading a good book on a rainy day. All these small moments make life just a little better.
Be more empathetic. Everyone is on their own journey, one full of struggles, hardships, sorrows and hopes and joys. Life isn’t easy so don’t make other people’s existence harder.
Makeup is a tool not a mask. Don’t hide your face, enhance it.
I don’t need to be perfect. I always try out new things but I often abandon them because I suck at them. Newsflash so did Picasso when he first painted (I hope so anyway), so did Jane Austen when she first wrote. You don’t need to be perfect you just need to be getting better by putting in the practice.
4 Minute showers are sufficient. Save some water and turn the shower off in between washing your hair and your body. This will save you some money on your water bill and have a little but meaningful impact on the planet. The more people who do this the more it will help.
Blazers can elevate any outfit. If in doubt stick to the classics that way you can’t go wrong.
“Fear is the Mind Killer” (Frank Herbert, 1965). No truer words have been said, well except maybe “Tis impossible to be sure of anything but Death and Taxes” (Bullock, 1716). I have avoided so many things and situations because of fear and I am kind of sick of it controlling my life! No more.