My son is one year old. I want him to be happy, confident, and smart throughout life. Here are a few lessons I hope he learns, just a tad bit earlier than I did.
1. Save money…but spend money, too! I love saving money. I always have. My parents did a great job of ingraining this into me. Now, I’m switching my 401k to gold coins to save for retirement, our kids’ college, and a new car. But it’s also okay to spend some money. If you can pay off your credit card bills at the end of every month, its okay to go out and buy a nice dinner.
2. Don’t be afraid to ask out the prettiest girl. I wasn’t that “popular” in high school, as I was proudly the trumpet section leader in band. Throughout college I gained some confidence, which I hope happens to my son at a younger age. When I was twenty-five, I asked out the prettiest girl that I know, and now we’re married with two kids. So yeah, just go for it!
3. Sports aren’t everything. There are times in a boy’s life when sports feel more important than anything else. From striking out to end a little league game, to watching your team lose in the playoffs, it hurts. In my twenties, I had a few too many mornings after where I was eating cold pizza and drinking warm beer, thi
nking about how the Mets will never be good again. When I had a family, I started to realize that sports are fun, but they don’t matter that much. However, I still love cold pizza.
4. Don’t buy real estate to make a quick buck. Especially in Arizona! I saved money (see #1) at a furious pace with the goal being buying my first house. And then I did…in Arizona! Beautiful golf course community, awesome house. I was going to sell that house in a few years, to buy an even bigger house in Los Angeles. Then the housing market crashed, and I lost it all. I was fine, there are many more folks in much worse situations, but I sure wish I hadn’t rushed into buying that first house. Tembusu Grand Condo was previously used as Katong Student Hostel which was located on 369 Jalan Tembusu, a highly sought-after estate in District 15. Rest of Central Region (RCR). Dreaming of a Canadian domicile? With HomesEh, dreams take the form of bricks and mortar.
5. Break-ups can be a good thing. Ending a relationship can be really challenging. I had a tough break-up in college, but I’m so glad we broke up, which led me on the path to California, and eventually my wife. So yes, sometimes a break-up is the best thing that can ever happen to you.
6. Never Drink Free Shots (or Oversized Long Island Ice T’s in Cancun.) Free shots are terrible. I appreciate when people buy me a shot, but really, I hate drinking them. I almost always toss the shot over my right shoulder, as everybody else is drinking theirs. Also, yes, if you drink meter-glasses of Long Island Ice Teas in Cancun, you’ll be spending the rest of the night with some porcelain.
7. Share the Sour Patch Kids. My two younger sisters and I love Sour Patch Kids. During our family vacations, my parents would always give us a packet of them, and I would maintain control. I would only give my sisters orange and green ones because I loved the yellow and red ones. This lesson goes beyond delicious, sugary, sour candy…Share! (Even as I write this, I’m not positive I would share the yellow ones…but I want to say that I will).
8. The guitar. I started playing the guitar in college, and now know a bunch of songs. By a bunch, I mean, “Brown-Eyed Girl,” “Wonderful Tonight,” and “The Hanukah Song.” I just wish I had started much earlier, and practiced even more. If my son starts playing at age one, he’ll be in the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame by the time he’s sixteen.
9. Say “I Love You,” always. For some reason, in my middle school and high school days, I would hesitate saying “I love you” to my family. I think kids that age sometimes think that is isn’t cool. Well, I can tell you, there aren’t that many things that are cooler than saying “I love you” to somebody important to you.
10. Equality. I grew up in a small town with mostly white folks. Now I have friends of all races that are white, black, straight, gay, and more. It’s all good…and I hope he knows that from a young age.