Chapter Ten: You Don’t Know Everything:

You may be thirteen, but you are still a kid. That means you are still a dumbass. I don’t mean to sound ugly about it, but it’s true. That’s just how it was. What can you do about it? I am going to sound like an old lady for a little while. Please bear with me here.

Okay? Here we go.

You have to listen to the adults. I know it sucks, but it will save your life. They know more than you do. Not always, but they have survived long enough to know how this game called life works. They tell you not to do things for a reason. When you end up hurt or looking foolish because you do it anyway, that’s on you.

Look, I am not trying to nag you here. I, along with the responsible adults in your life, are trying to keep you alive and sane. You are not stupid. But you will do many stupid things before you reach your thirties. (Some of you will still do stupid things way into old age, but that for something entirely different.) There is no avoiding it. Stupidity is universal. I guarantee you that there will be stupid people in the artic too. That’s just how life is.

But what can you do about it? How about listening and humoring them? I know it sucks, but they try to show that they actually care about you. They don’t want you to make history repeat itself. Listen to me. The responsible adults in your life are there for you. Give them at least three minutes to hear them out. You might have to thank them later. Begrudgingly, but you will thank them.

<Breathe Out>

Now that that’s out of the way, let us go back to a lighter tone and wrap this up, shall we? We’re almost to the home stretch. Hang in there. You can do it. Okay, I know that sounds cheesy. But, I’m about to wrap this up. So, let’s just get this over it. Sit back and dive in. Here we go.