The Youth of Sylvanus Greybeard

This article is about the youth of Sylvanus Greybeard (Me), as briefly described in my previous article.

I was born in a Dutch village, and my parents owned a medium-sized business, which meant there was little attention for us children. My mother did her best to give us the attention we needed, but the business and my father demanded most of her time.

My father was very strict, in a way that he always considered us a burden, and he treated my mother more like his personal slave. Our future didn't interest him, so we had to start working at a young age instead of studying. He didn't look up to intelligent people; his favorites were people with muscles and brawlers. I was the only one who finished high school and later earned a management diploma.

The above shows that I did not have an ideal youth or upbringing. Financially, we children lacked nothing, but the most important thing—guidance toward a good and sensible life was absent. At a young age, 15 years old, I wasn't home much in my free time. I hung out with the wrong friends and spent a lot of time in pubs. The most important thing for me was just to be away from home. This shaped a large part of my later life: not solving problems but running from them.

My Advice

Even if you have had a difficult youth, you still have a long time ahead of you to make something of your life. Surround yourself with people who can have a positive influence on you. You become what you associate with, whether it's positive or negative—the choice is yours.

Education gives you more opportunities for a well-paying job or to start something of your own. If you have an education, you will get ahead faster. If you don't have one, it will take longer and be more difficult to reach your goal. Here's a comparison: If you are standing in the middle of a forest, you have to search for the right and fastest way to get out. If you have an education, you can compare it to flying in a helicopter above the forest, allowing you to see all the paths that lead out of the forest and choose the best one for you.

I know it's difficult to make good choices when you are in a bad situation, but making choices is one of the most important things in your life. You can say yes or no; you can go left or right—the choice is yours.