I didn't know

This painting of a girl reading reminds me of myself as a young girl with my nose always in a book. I was a shy, artsy and dreamy kid who took things very personally. I didn't have a lot of confidence and always thought others knew more than I did. 

It's a shame that I didn't know that I was just as good as the other kids with a lot going for me. Too bad we don't get the insight and wisdom of age when we're young. Youth is wasted on the young as they say.

Oh well. I can't regret as I can't go back now and change any of it. It has made me the person I am today, both good and bad.

I wrote this poem exploring these thoughts. 

When I was young I didn’t know much

I was fairly clued out and not in touch,

I thought that others knew more than me

It was mostly untrue, but I couldn’t see,

I wish I hadn’t worried what others thought

It always made me so distraught,

I didn’t know that failing was a good thing to do

It meant that I had tried to learn something new,

I felt alone, like I didn’t belong

I had to learn to be tough and strong,

It took a long time and a lot of tears

With lots of suffering over the years,

Now I’m older with the wisdom of age

I look back on my youth like a wise old sage,

I discovered that I am creative and smart

With a sense of humour and a loving heart,

So many of my perceptions were never true

I didn’t know it back then, but now I do!