Member-only story
Is It Your Opinion or Your Feed’s?
Don’t rush to take a stand. First think.
Before our son left for college, we ordered his favorite Chinese takeout for a family dinner. Fried rice. Roasted lamb with broccoli. Roast pork in hoisin sauce.
The three of us sat at the dining table and talked about how the house would feel without him. We would miss him at dinner. But he was off to a course he had worked hard for and sacrificed a lot to get into over the past two years. More than missing him, we were happy for this new phase of his life. New friends, new places, new adjustments. A whole new world was waiting for him.
Then the Asian mom in me did what we do. I gave him advice.
“This new world you are stepping into is exciting, no doubt, but it comes with a ton of responsibility and accountability. No one will fix things for you now. Think before you take a position. Weigh the cost. Always. Ask: Is this who I am, or is this a good feeling for the moment? Some mistakes made at eighteen will follow you for years.”
He listened to it all while chewing pieces of lamb and pork. He broadly agreed. He wants to build something, and that takes people, trust and access to rooms. A foolish choice now could cost him everything, and his sacrifices would be in vain.
