after kindergarten

There is that tired expression, which tells something like, “All we need to know we learned in kindergarten.” Bored stiff people scoff at the cliché asking, how trite can anyone get?

Nonetheless, you choose to gratify yourself with what you believed you could at least call your own and got back to your personal musing.

Then, as if by some stroke of genius, the non-conformist in you launches an attack. You begin to argue that playschool, i.e., kindergarten cannot possibly teach you everything you need to know. Otherwise, you would not have worn yourself out learning and relearning things outside kindergarten. Of course, you’re just being too disgruntled to acknowledge what the truism really meant.

So, you tell yourself, and even try talking others into the impression that there is much more to learn after kindergarten—

1. There are certain things best left undone, words best left unsaid, questions best left unasked.
2. It’s not to say that you’ve been living in a “contrived world” most of your life, but yes, life IS a jungle when you go out to the “real world”.
3. You can create your own world in poster color, but at the end of the day you go back to yourself and realize, life will not always come out the way you have it pictured.
4. Making friends is much easier than keeping them.
5. You can never buy trust. You earn trust and keep it in a safe. Once lost, it’s hard to get it back.
6. Being lied to may not be altogether bad. We are not speaking of white lies but come to think of it, people lie to people who matter to them. “You do not merit a lie” (says Maria in Eleven Minutes, by Paulo Coehlo). People do not generally lie to strangers whom they find of little significance in their lives.
7. You cannot expect others to think the same way you do. Especially when the issue concerns you and not them.
8. In any given predicament, you are never left without a choice.
9. There is such a thing as organized chaos.
10. In all things, it’s all a matter of perspective.
11. It’s okay to cry for the right reasons.
12. Learn to value yourself a little more.
13. Give a little of yourself to others. You’ll be amazed to find yourself becoming whole in doing so.
14. Life is more wonderful and much more astounding than fairy tales. You’ll discover that the frogs are real and the princes are not—really.
15. In anything you do, taking anything less is equal to nothing more.
16. It’s always better to be the best YOU than to become a second-SOMEbody else.
17. Stay away from too much rationalizing or you could end up simply disillusioned.
18. Notwithstanding how daunting it could get, keep yourself real.
19. People say things and actually mean another.
20. People do things they don’t actually mean to.
21. Never take yourself too seriously.
22. Be kind to those who do you wrong, it is the sweetest act of vengeance.
23. Maturity doesn’t always come with age. You’d be surprised to meet the youngest grown-up and the oldest toddler.
24. You don’t have to believe in every word you hear someone tell you.
25. Keep a low profile. Don’t be too self-possessed with your accomplishments. Remember that your greatness is relative to different standards.
26. Choose your friends wisely.
27. The things you say or do are all subject to other people’s judgment, read this: misinterpretation. These misinterpretations may be to your advantage or theirs. Either way, you can always tell yourself, “I know myself better”.
28. Many people suffer from attention-deficit disorder, you figure, might as well end this piece.