When Wisdom Arrived Fashionably Late

They say, “Life is the best teacher, but the fees are very high.” If you ask me, I’ve paid quite a bit in both money and sanity to learn lessons that could have been taught earlier—preferably in school alongside algebra and the periodic table.

One of the first lessons: financial management. If only someone had whispered into my ear during my first salary, “Dear child, money doesn’t vanish; you spend it.” I thought swiping cards was a magical gesture—like Harry Potter waving his wand. Except the spell didn’t create money; it made it disappear faster than my patience during exam time. Had I mastered budgeting early, perhaps I wouldn’t have had the monthly horror of checking bank statements with the same suspense as opening exam results.

Then comes the glitter lesson. “All that glitters is not gold.” I wish someone had placed this phrase in neon lights over every shiny object I admired—whether it was sparkly shoes, friendships wrapped in fake smiles, or opportunities that looked like jackpots but turned out to be jackpot-sized mistakes. I learned that not every smiling face is your well-wisher, not every trend is worth following, and not every bargain is a bargain. Sometimes, glitter is just glitter—pretty to look at, painful to buy.

Humor aside, these lessons made me stronger. They taught me that financial discipline isn’t about deprivation, but about direction. And that glitter-free choices—like true friendships, quiet moments, or even simple homemade meals—often shine brighter than anything that sparkles in the shop window.

As one wise quote goes: “Mistakes are proof that you are trying, but repeating them is proof you weren’t paying attention.” Thankfully, I’ve started paying attention—though a bit late, like a student who remembers homework only on the bus to school.

The beauty of life is that lessons arrive exactly when we are ready to learn them—even if we grumble, “I wish I knew this earlier.” Perhaps the delay is what makes them sink deeper into our hearts.

Thought to ponder: Maybe life doesn’t delay lessons; maybe we delay listening.