Things I’ve Learned Along the Way

My birthday is this week, and I’m turning thirty-four. Even if birthdays aren’t as thrilling as they once were, I thought I’d make a list of things I’ve gained along the way. No one remains forever young, and even if we don’t like everything we see in the mirror and realize that some of our dreams might not come true, we should rejoice in the blessings we gain as we get older.

One of my favorite C.S. Lewis quotes (about another Susan) is from the book The Last Battle: “I wish she would grow up. She wasted all her school time wanting to be the age she is now, and she’ll waste all the rest of her life trying to stay that age. Her whole idea is to race on to the silliest time of one’s life as quick as she can and then stop there as long as she can.”

The serious list:

1. Being able to draw upon past experience. Life experience is like a rainy day savings account. You never know how solving that pesky problem or handling that pesky person when you are sixteen will help you out when you are thirty.
2. Gaining knowledge. When I was about thirteen, I read a book about a Jewish girl living in Poland during WWII, and I remember some parts of the book dealing with the geography and politics being very confusing. Years later, I read the same book and everything clicked. It was very satisfying to realize that learning begets understanding.
3. I don’t get frantic quite as quickly. Had the COVID-19 pandemic and the all the chaotic fallout happened when I was a teenager, I would have been very worried.
4. I now know more about how the media works. Media is generally funded by advertising. Advertisers pay based how many people see the ad. Hence, there is a financial incentive to write eye-catching headlines. This doesn’t make the media or the advertisers evil, but understanding this natural weakness of the media cycle can lend balance to our news intake.
5. New technology, used correctly, is absolutely fantastic! Two summers ago when I visited Alaska for the first time, I reconnected with a friend I hadn’t seen in fifteen years, thanks to Facebook. Messaging apps save me time and awkward phone conversions. Much more important is the technology that saves the lives of children, eases the pain of the sick and elderly, and helps the Church share the Good News to the ends of the earth.
6. The world may be changing, and yet nothing is new under the sun. One example concerning attitudes: When I was about twenty, I spent a year doing volunteer work in another state. There were lots of other young volunteers from Mennonite communities all over the country. It was popular to criticize large Mennonite communities like Lancaster County, Pennsylvania or Holmes County, Ohio. I remember an older friend I admired saying “Lancaster County is a good place to be from.” I thought it was a clever thing to say, until I read the exact same quote in an old book and realize Mennonites have been saying “Lancaster County is a good place to be from” since at least the 1960s.
7. One of the essential doctrines of Christianity is the fallen state of the world. Once you can get over the search for the golden happily ever after, you can get more serious about actually doing the best you can with the time you’ve been given.
8. Lofty ideas don’t pay the rent… or feed the hungry. Last night I had a great discussion with friends about current events and world missions. I’ve learned much from debating and discussing (and it’s much better done in person than on social media.) We like to joke that we are “solving the world’s problems.” But I see the limits of such discussions. Only God can solve the world’s problems. I’ve come to believe it’s much better to focus on simple virtues like truthfulness, hard work, compassion, generosity, gratitude, and kindness than to attempt to reform the world from the sofa.

The not-so serious list:

1. Comfort before style is a wonderful thing. To think that I used to bother with hairspray and nylons. Or that I’d freeze in the winter rather than wear bulky clothing.
2. Being a picky eater is (mostly) a thing of the past. I love foods now that once would have made me gag.
3. I appreciate the fresh scent of line-dried clothing. I also love produce from the garden. And the sight of a clean room makes my heart sing.
4. Shock and awe isn’t a good strategy for polite conversation.
5. Using mouthwash will make waking up in the morning a much better experience.
6. As a grown-up, no one makes me play baseball, ever. But I intend to keep riding my bicycle.

Have a wonderful day! Love, Susan