Would Your Life Be Different If You Could Start Over Again @18

Photo on my college I.D. card, first day  @OU
Within a week I was 18.

I just finished reading an article on Medium titled "7 things I wish I had known when I was 18."

Naturally, when I think of being 18 I can't help but think of Alice Cooper's song by that name with the refrain, "I'm eighteen and I don't know what I want." 

Lines form on my face and hands
Lines form from the ups and downs
I'm in the middle without any plans
I'm a boy and I'm a man -- I'm eighteen

Having come of age in the Sixties, I also think of Barry Maguire's Eve of Destruction and the line "You're old enough to kill but not for voting," which summed up eighteen-hood. Yes, you can go to Vietnam and fight (and die) for your country, but you have no say in who rules the roost in Washington DC.

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Before you read the story, maybe you can think back on where you were at emotionally/psychologically when you were 18. The author (Bite-size Life) has chosen to obfuscate his or her identity, but the content is thought provoking. We've all been there.

Here are his or her first points:
1. You are not fixed; you are always evolving.
2. You don’t look for meaning; you make it.
3. Buy experiences, not things.

Here's where you can find the rest of the list with examples and explanations:

7 Things I wish I Had Known When I Was 18.

FWIW, I suspect that people unfamiliar with Medium don't realize that you can clap as many as 50 times for stories you like. Let me know if this has changed. (Medium has undergone some rules changes over the years.)

* * * 

The best part of being 18 is that the worst teen years (for most, I'm guessing) are behind you at that point.

* * * 

OK, so here is your homework. If you were to make a list of 7 things you wished you knew when your were eighteen, what would they be? This is a good project if you wish to tussle and tangle with it. Please feel free to leave your thought (on this) in the Comments.