THIS PICTURE WAS TAKEN IN 1986, AND AT THAT POINT I WAS 24 YEARS OLD. 40 YEARS AGO! THIS 24 YEAR OLD WAS LIVING LIFE TO THE FULL. FANTASTIC SOCIAL LIFE, A GREAT CIRCLE OF FRIENDS, A GOOD JOB AND JUST ABOUT TO BUY HIS FIRST HOUSE. ENJOYING EVERY MOMENT, NOT A CARE IN THE WORLD. SO, WHAT WOULD THIS NOW 64 YEAR OLD SAY TO THAT WILD 24 YEAR OLD. WOULD HE TELL HIM TO SLOW DOWN, STOP BURNING THE CANDLE AT BOTH ENDS, SAVE MONEY FOR THE FUTURE OR INVEST IN A PENSION? WELL THE BEST ADVICE I WOULD GIVE HIM WOULD BE TO APPRECIATE HIS PARENTS MORE. TO SHOW THEM MORE CARE AND LOVE, SPEND MORE TIME WITH THEM AND TO VALUE THOSE MOMENTS WITH THEM MORE. BECAUSE WHAT THAT 24 YEAR OLD DIDN’T KNOW IN 1986, WAS THAT IN 13 YEARS HIS MUM WOULD PASS AWAY, AND JUST 2 YEARS LATER HIS DAD WOULD FOLLOW HER. BOTH YOUNG AND NOT REACHING THEIR RETIREMENT YEARS TOGETHER. A BLINK OF AN EYE 15 YEARS AND THAT WAS ALL THE TIME THIS 24 YEAR OLD HAD LEFT WITH HIS MUM AND DAD. HE COULD HAVE MADE MORE OF THAT TIME.

I WOULD ALSO TELL HIM NOT TO GO TO THAT PARTY IN LAMBERT ROAD, BECAUSE JULIE WOULD BE THERE!

- NICK COULBECK (64 GOING ON 24)

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