Life Lesson

I may seem wise now, in my 80th year, but I have only gained wisdom by learning from my mistakes. I was not always so wise and mature. When I was young I made plenty of mistakes, many of which I regret every day, but I cannot change them now, I can only grow from them.
As I sit in front of my grandchildren now, telling them about my rebellious past, I am forced to relive the days when I did and said many stupid, childish things. I never listened to my elders, when they spoke to me. I assumed that they did not understand what I was going through. Now that I myself am an elder, I realize, they understood me considerably better then I understood myself.
When I was young, such a long time ago, I remember not caring about my future. Not only did I not care, but I made sure that I surrounded myself with others that also did not care. They were outcasts, with no education. I was a rich rebel who had gone to school, until I dropped out in my second last year. Had I asked for it, I could have gotten anything I wanted. Instead, I pushed my family away and pulled these outcasts closer. I had no respect for those that loved me, and those that barely noticed me, I loved. They understood how hard life was, they understood how hard growing up was. All the while my parents tried to bring me in again. They wanted me to be limitless in life, to finish my education and get a good job and have a strong family. I wanted none of this. I just wanted to be left alone.
I had no idea that every adolescent felt the same way, and that my parents had gone through the same thing when they were younger. I felt alone, so I found people who left me alone. I did not do what I should have, which was to keep my family and real friends close to me. I needed their support, but I could not ask. After months of this behaviour from me, my father and mother told me I had a decision to make. I could continue to hang out with these people, and lose my education and future, but I could not live in their house while I did it, or I could go back to school, and redeem myself and stay in their house. I left.
After two years of living with these friends of mine, I started to realize exactly what I had thrown away. I went back to my parents' house and stood at the big gates. I watched them sit with my brothers and sisters and enjoy themselves. My empty chair was dusty, and every now and then my mother would look over at it and sigh. My pride stopped me from entering. It was five more years until I went back into that house. My mother had past away, and I was going home for the funeral. She left everyone a little something, even me, the outcast.
After that day I continued to go home every now and then. I would play with my younger siblings, and love them as much as I could. It wasn't long after she past away that my father asked me to come home for good.
I accepted. I finished my education, went to law school, and became one of the top lawyers in the city. I now have a very large family, and many true friends. I live with my family on a large piece of property, in the middle of a big city. We have enough money to support us, and all of my grandchildren are spoilt. My wife past away not that long ago, and I know that I will be joining her soon. Until then though, I plan to live my life as best I can, and support this growing family with all I have. I remember too well the cold nights I spent in alleys, and sleepless nights at parties. I do not want my grandchildren to fell the way I did when I was their age, but I suppose it is unavoidable. It's just all part of growing up. How you feel isn't the problem, it's how you react to those feelings. That is one lesson I will never forget!