Old versus young

(în poză este Mark Twain)

Eseul publicat de Mary Schmich in rubrica ei din Chicago Tribune, în 1997, se numea Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young. Ea spunea atunci că acestea ar fi sfaturile pe care le-ar da unor absolvenţi de facultate, dacă aceştia i le-ar cere.

Peste doi ani, potenţialul discurs a fost transformat într-un single, cu sprijinul lui Baz Luhrmann; şi astfel, sub numele Everybody's free (to wear sunscreen) mesajul jurnalistei a zburat mult mai rapid către un public internaţional. Bine-bine, Internetul a contribuit şi el, drept dovadă că am putut găsi ce am postat mai jos. Câteva fragmente:

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Nevermind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded. (…)

Don’t worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. (…)

Don’t waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind. The race is long, and in the end, it’s only with yourself. (…)

Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you'll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders. (…)

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