Roger Ebert attends his 50th high school reunion and has some interesting observations and insights, including this:
One of the most noble undertakings in the history of the cinema is Michael Apt’s “Up” series of documentaries, which begins with a group of British 7-year-olds, and revisits them every 7 years, most recently in 2005 when they were 49. These films are the proof of Wordsworth’s belief that “the child is father of the man.” Looking at my classmates, I wondered if perhaps the person we are at 18 is the person we will always be, despite everything else that comes our way. All that happens is that slowly we become more aware of what matters in life.
Do you agree?
I love Ebert, but on that, I don’t really agree. I think education and travel can change a person–on a deep/fundamental level.
Well, I suppose education and travel could change some people on a deep/fundamental level, but I’m not sure how much it has really changed me. Down in the very core of my being, I believe I am the same person I was as a young child–let alone as a teen-ager. I have always been trusting, kind, compassionate, intuitive, a sponge for knowledge, a spiritual/philosophical Seeker, a champion for the underdog, plus genuinely concerned about the environment (and my impact on it) down to the smallest creatures. On the flip side, I also possess most of the same failings I had as a child and teen, especially stubbornness and the need to be right (a learned-family-trait, obviously being exercised herein). Thankfully, the degree and frequency to which I exhibit my short-comings has decreased…. somewhat because I’ve learned more about myself and others–so yes, through education and travel to some degree.
Still, I don’t really think the deep/fundamental ESSENCE of who I am is any different. I think I’ve only gained a greater awareness of the world beyond my immediate scope and how to fit in to that world with a bit more confidence and finesse. I’ve learned what matters in life, as Roger Ebert puts it, which makes it easier not to sweat the small stuff. (Now I can at least agree to disagree once in a while!)
Thankfully, I am not quite as goofy and insecure as I was when I was 18!! 😉