I saw a recent interview with Billie Eilish that covered a wide range of topics. As I watched, I kept thinking about how right out of the gate she scored Grammys and Oscars and a lot of attention as a teenager. Now turning 23, she has three albums, and each one has been better than the last. She's taking singing lessons. She's playing arenas without her brother or parents on tour. And mercifully, she seems to remain grounded, which seems to be tough for talented young people who get famous fast. The exciting thing is that, at the moment, it seems like her best days are ahead of her.
Yeah, it's another midlife topic.
When we think about our lives to date, and what may lie in the future, I know that a lot of people get nostalgic. Regardless of the quality of the days and years behind you, can you really imagine a time when your best isn't ahead of you? I suspect that a lot of people are miserable because they don't believe that to be true. If you can't believe it, the feelings in that hole are likely those of resentment, disappointment and anger. You know how people go to high school reunions and say things like, "They really peaked in high school?" It would suck to be that person. (I don't know what people say at reunions... I've not been to one, and don't really care to.)
I am firmly in the camp of believing that my best days are ahead of me. This isn't evidence-based, but it is based on intent. It's hard to define what constitutes a "good" life, and it certainly changes as we go, but by default I can't see how I would not see continuous improvement. We're always taking in new information, doing different things, and hopefully, retain a sense of curiosity and wonder about the world. How could the best days not be ahead?
This is, by the way, one of the reasons that the whole "make America great again" slogan is total nonsense. If we're not our greatest now, when were we? When we had slavery? When woman couldn't vote? People had less freedoms? (Apparently that last one is a "yes" for a lot of people.) If you're pining for a time when any of that was real, cool, but don't force your sad nostalgia on the rest of us.
Billie is gonna have even better days. Be like Billie.
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