Looking back at your own life, do you remember the days when you thought you knew it all ?

When I was about 16 or 17, my Dad said something similar to what your friend said to you.

I remember that I came home from School one day and my Dad asked me if I learned anything new at School that day. I said:- "no Dad", to which he replied:- "then why did you bother going to School?"

I wasn't meaning to say that I already knew everything that was to be known ~ I only meant that there was nothing discussed that was new to me.

I think that a lot of teenagers (not all) go through a stage of their life where they not only think they know it all, but they also think that they know better. Reflecting on my teenage years, I was probably one of them. I used to think that my Parents were old fashioned and that they grew up in the "old days". To me, my Parents were ancient and they couldn't possibly have ever been in a similar situation to me. They didn't understand today's youth and they "just didn't get it". How wrong was I?

As time passed and I matured with age (not necessarily brains), I became increasingly aware of how smart and wise my Parents were. My Dad was an Honors Graduate from one of the finest Universities in Australia, a Captain serving in WWll and who's thirst for knowledge never stopped until the day he died at the tender age of 56 from a Brain Tumor. Being a Civil Engineer, Dad could do anything. His brain was a machine when it came to helping my with my Schoolwork ~ especially Algebra and Trigonometry and when he turned his hands to Woodworking in the Shed, he could build anything. Amongst other things, he built my first Billy Cart ~ the fastest and coolest Billy Cart in the whole neighborhood.

Unfortunately, my Mum wasn't a Rhodes Scholar - she was a Hairdresser who came from a loving, but poor home. But, Mum was a whiz with budgeting the family accounts and she could cook up a storm with the most simple of ingredients at mealtime. There wasn't a torn or ruined piece of clothing that she couldn't repair on a 1950's model Sewing Machine and our home was always spotless - except for my bedroom (Boys will be Boys ~ hehehe)

As a University Educated adult now, I can appreciate that back then, the combined knowledge, wisdom, advice and experience of my Parents was second to none and I wish that I could have them beside me again for one last chance for me to say:- "thank you Mum and Dad ~ I love you both".

These days I've found myself facing the same scenario with my children as I subjected my Parents to when I was a teenager. Now it's my turn to be old fashioned and apparently, I grew up in the old days. Now, I don't "get it". One day, I hope that my children will come to appreciate that I was once young and apart from Technology - nothing else in life has changed.

I don't know where the saying originally came from, but I believe in it ...................

"You can't put a young head on old shoulders"

Edit: I came back to look at this and I found that I had made a "boo boo" .........

It should be:- "You can't put an old head on young shoulders"

Tsk tsk - silly me!!

Waiter??? where's my drink?

I can recall the days where I wished I knew it all. :/

And before you call me arrogant, that time frame stretches to the present. There's too much to think that I know it all. Even as a teenager, I was never self-centered. I saw people different than me all the time, and instead of saying that they weren't normal, I wondered what they were like for real, or what contributed to what I was seeing.

Foreign people, places, ideas, and everything that is abstract always got me thinking. With that being said, I developed a massive imagination and sense of acceptance to everything regardless of how good/evil it may be, how beautiful/ugly or how abnormal it may seem.

The only thing I can't stand is anything that's dull and redundant. >.<

Oh yes.By the time I left college and was ready to take on the world,I knew everything.Nothing like a few older carpenters on a construction site,which was my first job,to make me realize I had a lot to learn.

Now I am the wise old sage dispensing,not book knowledge,but plain old common sense based upon Biblical teachings.

Yes 12-15, Mom and Dad were caught up with the Roaring 20's Glenn Miller and all, Elvis was just beginning and it seemed like Mom and Dad knew nothing of my world.

Does one evr really know everything? Or can one really KNOW everything.

With today's technology one can be more appraised of everything,

I remember a very wise Professor telling me one, Knowledge is not Knowing, BUT; Knowing where to find.

I don't remember feeling that way in my youth & even now I love to learn new things.

Good question Suzie.

I'm reminded of a John Steinbeck quote about himself. Something along the lines of, 'my father was so stupid when I was young. When I returned home after college, I was amazed how much he had learned!!'

Yes, there was a time where I thought I had everything figured out and everything was good. But as I grew older I realized how foolish I was, I didn't know everything and at the time I wasn't smart enough to realize this.

I was a teenager once, and I never really claimed to "know it all". There were some things I knew, somethings I wish I didn't, and there are other things I'd really like to forget.

Yes I do....I believe that was when I was around 17 - 18 (when I had it in my stupid head that I wanted to get married and live happily ever after)

Yep, plain as day....... it changed fast though once I learned about reality. The know it all years would come and go as they went by...

Yes, those were the years in high school. When I got to college, was when I realized I didn't know it all. =)