Lessons from the Omniscient, Omnicompetent University Student

Now that I know the ever-elusive Everything, I thought it time to pass on some of this knowledge to the mere mortals I have left behind to pay my bills, clean up my room and generally cheer me on on my path to absolutely mind-blowing greatness and superiority over all humankind.

Mother -
In extreme denial of my proximity to becoming a big person, I long for days on which we would make illicit evening trips to McDonalds or KFC in the middle of the week (!) with mom. One thing parents should know about discipline and kids is that it could be really effective to break the mould sometimes, to do something out of the ordinary and exhilarating to their children. I am unsure as to the reason and logic behind this theory and how it works... Does it shock children into momentary complacence? Who knows?

Always give your children reasons for behaving in a certain way and not another. "Because I say so" has never worked, and I thank and applaud you for never trying, but now that I am studying Sociology I see that we are dependent of each other and of society to follow the norm and conduct ourselves in an "acceptable" fashion, and I think any Big Person should think very long and hard about why this is before they endeavour to produce offspring.

Ella -

Always think as much as possible. Think so much that you even know how to hide it if you one day (God forbid) have a simple-minded teacher who feels threatened by it. Become the kid with the smartest, biggest, fastest, most awesome kick-assest brain in the whole school, city, province, country, continent, WORLD. Just do it. Think about everything and never take anything you hear or see for granted, never think anything is true without inspecting it. Inspect everything and experience everything.

Always love your big sister more than anyone in the whole world, because that is how much she loves you.

Oupa -

Never sell out!

You have passed along much of your highly esteemed knowledge to me, and I do not have much in my mind that is not in yours yet, but if I know one thing about art: be it writing, sculpting, painting, creating, anything: never sell out. Never be anyone to anyone who does not want the specific one that you are.

Ouma -

Always carry on spoiling your grandchildren in every way possible, as you are and have been doing forever. And I know what it is like to want to read every book in the world and I promise you, together we will undertake this heroic endeavour together. I have always loved you with my whole, whole heart.

Eva and Eric -

Being a kid up until very recently, some advice from a kid's perspective: everything is better with sugar, chocolate syrup, sprinkles or a combination of the three. Trust me.*

*Congratulations!