Advice to Children

There are worse things than being unpopular.

Things that are hard to learn will make you look and feel stupid many times while you are trying to learn them, but that doesn't mean you won't eventually be good at them. Don't ever quit just because it's hard.

Study music. Learn to make some for yourself. (Advice to parents: as hard as they are to listen to when they're new at it, always encourage them to keep at it. Then go in your own room and eat a bunch of aspirin.)

Adults will not always help you stick to things the way you will wish you had. They may not be patient. They may not be kind. They may simply not know any better. But some will know. (Advice to adults: It's hard to be a human being. It's really hard to be a young human being. Don't make it harder by getting in their way. Guidance is one thing. Obstruction is another thing entirely.)

Don't let the bullies get you down. I wish I could say you can always beat them by standing up to them, but sometimes you just have to work around them. Most of them will outgrow it.