Catching up

Wow ...a lot can happen between blogs... last entry was over a year ago...One of the great things about writing is to look back to see what you were thinking or amused or entertained by.... and on reflection I have just gotten older not smarter... so why bother
blogging?  A lady friend asked me to talk with her 22 year old son about his future
and (I presume) advise him.. This is not the first time I have been asked to talk to young
people on what to do because I suppose I have had moderate success in life... which means 1 success for every 10 failures. Problem with that is I have nothing to offer except my own history. So all I now know is what made me happy. Steve Jobs in his commencement at Stanford* had the best stuff..'' Do what you love''  O God is he
ever right... Forget about the money...it will come but to chase money for its own
sake is folly. In the long road I have travelled I have never met a rich person who
was happy because of their wealth. NOT ONE!!!  And I have met and know a lot of
them..... What seems to make them happy is friends, family and the enjoyment of free stuff like a warm day in spring, children playing, sunrises, sunsets, having a passion
for anything, Little things like being asked a question because someone respects your
opinion, asking a question because you are in the presence of someone whose opinion
or knowledge you respect, breathing in mountain air, a really good dinner party for
6 or 8, a laugh anytime over anything.
So what to advise a young person to do...The only common denominator I can think of
is TRAVEL. Go anywhere in the world. By yourself. just have enough money to
get by...sleep in hostels...work if you can any job no matter how menial .... You will
learn more in 1 year travelling than 4 years at any University. And it will be fun and
tremendously useful....do not put it off till you are older....You are young and free
from most responsibilities and your mind is (hopefully) still open.

22 million views of SJ at Stanford ...great way to spend 15 minutes
* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc