So, I’ve been reading all the hate lately on Miley Cyrus and her single We Can’t Stop. I’m a little too old to have ever been a fan of Miley, so I don’t really have an opinion about her. But the video caught my attention, and what was most interesting was her comment about the video, and her career in general. I’d have to agree with Miley on this one, because when you’re in your 20s, you just don’t really know that person anymore.

I remember thinking I was pretty wise, smarter than most of the older adults I knew, when I graduated college. I was ready for the world. I was going to change things. But then you realize your priorities shift as you grow older, as you gain responsibility, as you gain experiences, as you struggle, as you get up and try again. It’s not so easy, and life isn’t one giant drunken Molly-fueled orgy as Miley would like us to believe.

I guess we’re all guilty of watching other people’s train wrecks. We love watching them get drunk and throw tables at each other. Maybe it reminds us of high school. They aren’t particularly grown-up. Maybe it makes us feel better, because when we think about our younger selves I’m sure there are plenty of cringe-worthy moments, too. There’s a strange comfort in seeing chaos from a distance. It lets us laugh, judge, and secretly remember that we were once just as messy.

All I want to say is – if your future thirty, forty, or eighty year-old self could meet your current self, she probably would nod her head knowingly and wait for you to catch up. One day the things that feel urgent now will look small, and the person you are becoming will make more sense than the person you are today. That’s just how it is. We spend so much time trying to sound certain, but time usually has the last word.