School of Hard Knocks

When I was growing up, I didn't like to listen when people told me what to do.  Any advice fell by the wayside because I always believed that I knew best (even if I had no experience in the subject matter at hand.)  I am still that way to some extent, but at least now the rational (and more mature) side of my brain tells me I should probably listen to reason.  My dad had a saying when my sister and I failed to heed his advice, "let the school of hard knocks teach you."

I think about this as a teacher and a parent.  Some life lessons you just don't learn unless you make a big, colossal mistake.  It's different from person a person.  A look back on some lessons I learned from the school of hard knocks:

• Cars need oil to run.  No seriously, they do.  I ruined my first car because I decided to ignore the oil light for a few months.  While driving down I-10 to Tucson, I accelerated and a rattling noise shook the car and jarred me to a stop.  I cracked the engine block of that car and broke one of the rods. 
• If you are unhappy in a job, take matters into your own hands and quit.  I was extremely miserable at a job, I knew the company was in financial trouble and I actually hoped to be laid-off.  Well, my wish was granted and that's what happened.  I would have been happier (and with my pride still intact) if I had just confronted my bosses, quit and moved on. 
• Trolley tracks are meant to be crossed at a perpendicular angle while on a road bike.  You can read more about that here.  Let's just say, it wasn't pretty.
• There will never be enough time to do anything.  If you keep thinking there will be time to do it later, you are always mistaken.  I've put off marathon training, having a kid, changing careers, only to realize that the task wasn't too big after all and once I took the leap, I wondered why I waited so long.  (except the having a kid part, that came at just the right time :-)
• Middle school makes you a stronger person.  And that's all I want to say about that one.