A letter to my younger self
BY DICK PIROZZOLO
After being on this earth for three-quarters of a century, what would I tell my 40- or 50-year-old- self or my 20-year-old self for that matter?
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You will never reach a point in life where you stop making mistakes.
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Don’t wait until you retire to learn a musical instrument. Start now, while your spouse is out of the house for a good part of the day and doesn’t have to listen to you practice.
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If you’ve dreamt of becoming a professional photographer when you retire, don’t expect to get work, the photographers who have been doing this all their lives are having a hard enough time.
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Staying in shape is better than getting in shape.
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If you have money to invest, buy the house next door and keep it for 20 years
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College is not a trade school. If engineering or nursing aren’t for you, major in art, music, theater or literature. It’ll make life more interesting, develop your communication skills, and you’ll be more valuable in an international economy where culture counts for a lot.
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“These kids of today” are smart, talented, hardworking, technically savvy and face an uncertain world that we created. Let’s put an end to “snowflake” and other pejoratives.
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Speak in front of an audience and on camera as often as possible.
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Don’t argue. No one remembers whether you were right or wrong, they’ll only remember you argued.
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Anyone, absolutely anyone, can go off the rails at any time. A gun will only make matters worse.
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Teaching someone responsibility is fine, teaching someone a lesson is never acceptable.
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An English breakfast of eggs, bacon, beans and blood sausage is healthier and more delicious than cereal, toast and juice, and has fewer calories.
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Cooked kale tastes way better than raw kale.
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Go to at least one opera and one ballet, especially the Met and the Joffrey.
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Older people become incapacitated from falling. Practice standing on one leg.
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If you want to learn mindfulness, get a dog.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dick Pirozzolo, APR is founder & managing director Pirozzolo Company Public Relations, Boston, MA. He specializes in public relations, corporate communication, media relations, and crisis management. He coauthored the 2017 historical novel, Escape from Saigon.