Keeping my teenage spirit alive
Standing on the same spot.
One of these photos is from last week. The other from when I was 18.
The 18-year-old me was on a month-long InterRail adventure with my mate Tad. It was my first time in Amsterdam. We saw a gig at the Melkweg arts centre. We subsisted on baguettes and beer. It was a brilliant time.
So when we were back in the city last week I couldn’t resist getting a photo of me in the same spot.
What would these two guys say to one another? What hopes and dreams would the 18 year old version express? What advice would I give to my younger self?
I don’t think they’re wildly different. The 1986 Ian would be encouraged by how much of his energy and essence remains 38 years later. He’d be happy to see how I’ve carved out a work life around who I am and what makes me tick.
1986-Ian would be happy I’d kept his spirit alive all these years on, by:
Staying curious. Seeing where my nose takes me keeps me fresh and makes life interesting. It can be on a small level - topics I read about or music I listen to - or bigger, like the couple of local in-person events I’m hosting this week, just to see what comes out or to meet new people.
Having a spirit of adventure. I loved my 1986 European trip, crossing borders on trains, exploring places, meeting new people, wandering without a map. And I continue to do that today within my work. Partly it’s about saying yes to things; partly about pushing out of my comfort zone. I get to treat my work life as an adventure.
Noticing and writing things down. I still have my 1986 InterRail diary. I like revisiting the anecdotes and observations I noted down. Four decades on, I'm still scribbling what I notice about the world around me.
Storytelling. As a teen I got involved in student journalism and worked in local radio, using these media to connect and share with the wider world. This element of connection in a human, understandable way is at the heart of who I am today.
Standing for something. Like many teenagers I was active in issues I cared about. I marched for CND and Anti Apartheid; I did a sponsored fast for Oxfam, I sent in letters to newspapers. Today I channel that passion into working differently, better, in a more human way - eschewing the old, unhelpful ways of working and living more fulfilled lives aligned with who we are.
So - my advice to me: “stick to who you are!”
How about you? What would your teenage self think of the adult version? Conversely, with the benefit of your years of wisdom, what advice would you give the younger you?