I related it this way to my children. When you enter adulthood you are perched on the sharp peak of a snowcapped mountain. With every year, you descend the mountain, a small amount and the perimeter to any, or an opposite point on the mountain lengthens. This change is difficult to perceive, particularly if you continue on the same path for a number of years. If after some passage of time you desire a path on the opposite side, the traverse to get there will be effortful at least, impossible at worst. Choose the distant destination wisely.
Discussion
nostr:npub14eng8plhflea40cu3lafnw6nwkxsp5te2v7hzy74lz6a9mjhpaks0wm4rw There was a spanner thrown in the works for me. The choice was a career in software development. Missing was the knowledge that I have ADHD. Deep concentration in solitude isn't really something I can do for work, I think. Paying attention to my external environment, switching between many smaller tasks and communicating comes much more naturally to me. I was about halfway down the mountain when I realised my mistake.
Absolutely understandable. Your perception of your circumstance is astute. I was hoping my children would carefully consider their choices, the verdict is out. I didn’t see my life this way in my youth, my expectation is that they won’t either, but as a parent you have to try. I had a ADHD girlfriend (from Norway lol) she is a journalist, with effort I could keep track of the six different conversations spoken in no particular order when her Adderall wore off, helped with her rough drafts, she speaks seven languages fluently though and as a global journalist that ability to absorb bits of information at an enormous rate proved a superpower. For her it was management and seeking the right niche for her characteristics.