Regret lingers like bonfire smoke to a sweatshirt. The smell is slow to go away if ever at all. A crazy night turned to a walk of shame, a haunting test grade, a tumultuous relationship.Whatever it may be, young adulthood is chuck full of regret. Although 100% preventable, we all still manage to smell a bit. Within the past six months, I have lost both of my grandfathers. I deeply regret not spending more time with them. I got to their funerals and learned more in a 3-hour ceremony then in my 20 years of existence.
Grandparents. Remember them? The shar-pei like humans that bake dank cookies and smell of mothballs? They are the generation that went through a depression, a segregated America, a World War, and a technological revolution. Our grandparent’s generation lived through monumental events that, to most of us, look like distant history. They are our closest connection to first-hand experience, yet we never take time to talk about their history. Regret piles high in our early twenties, as it is the only time in our life where we can think solely of ourselves. I wish I would have asked my grandpa more about the time the KKK came to his small college in Alabama, but I didn’t because I was too consumed with myself. I would give so much to hear my other grandfather talk about his time as a navigator without GPS in WWII, but now I can not.
This may sound morbid, but when they are gone they are gone. Each and every day their minds are turning to mush and whether you like it or not they have insight, advice, and wisdom that might guide you the rest of your life. Slide into their landlines and get em' while they're hot. Time is of the essence with these brittle creatures. Remember to breathe when they say you should be dating someone and come with many questions. Be proactive and prevent yourself from smelling of smoke.