Mentoreeing

Life is so much easier in retrospect, right? It seems hard when you're in it (I can say with certainty that I cried about my bangs-- MY BANGS!!-- more than a half dozen times in middle school) and so much less traumatic looking backwards.

I think a major benefit of having an older mentor is that she can say (preferably in a soft southern accent), "Look, sweetie, you're just doing a great job. Kids are silent sponges-- you're teaching them exactly what they need to know. They'll come around, you'll see." Then you can relax a little and let Time do its thing. (Though mentors can also say, "Honey, you are absolutely making a huge mistake in [doing any number of things I am probably currently doing]. Cut it out, and you'll all be better off.")

But, of course, the question is, "WHO WANTS TO MENTOR ME?" Who wants to take Crazy under her wings? And whose advice would I like to take, anyway? This is why I need to know people of older generations, so I can develop relationships with them and determine who has achieved what I feel to be valuable in life (a deep knowledge of God, a faithful and fun marriage, and respectful and loyal children) and therefore would seek advice from. And they would also need to know me well enough to determine if I was worth giving their life's advice to.

So, uh, is this like dating then? Do I walk up to an older woman and say, "Hey, lady. Want to grab a drink?" I just have no idea how this is supposed to work! Maybe I take out a personal ad? "YOUNG DUFUS SEEKS HELP" seems a little extreme, but "YOUNG MOM SEEKS ADVICE, ANY ADVICE" seems a bit desperate. I'm not sure who would respond, even.

On the other end, I have loved being involved in younger women's lives. I wouldn't say that I've been a mentor to any of them, more like a big sister really, but I do love those relationships I've developed. Maybe older women would find similar fulfillment, which means I would be doing us both a favor?

Until I figure any of this out, I leave you with this very funny blog. You could spend a lot of time there, I think.