Dear Henry, Noah and Samuel Knox Wansley:
It looks like it is your turn to receive some unsolicited advice from an old man who has been dispensing it since your daddy and his cousins were about your age. That has been a long time. I’m not sure how much of it they found helpful but I hope some of it stuck. Much of what I have to say to you comes from my own life experiences – good and bad.
Some of this may be a little premature since you three range from shedding baby teeth to learning to read, but I thought I should share my thoughts while I am still able to do so. I hope you will at least put this note away and use it as a reference in the years ahead.
One thing that has changed dramatically in the years since I began this exercise is that the world in which you live has gotten infinitely more complicated, thanks to rapid advances in technology. Technology is a two-edged sword. There is much good to be derived from it. In your lifetime, you may witness cures to diseases unimagined in my lifetime. Tours to faraway planets. Driverless automobiles that can fly. And who knows what else?
There is also a dark side to technology. Misinformation can be spread at the speed of light. People can accuse, insult, slander and malign with complete anonymity. Our electrical grid, our telephone network, our financial and defense systems are vulnerable to bad actors around the world. And there is the question of artificial intelligence and its impact on the future.
It is striking that none of this was a subject for discussion in my previous annual letters to your dad and his cousins. That is how much things have changed in such a short period of time. And yet much has not changed. The basics are still the basics although given the above premise, applying them will be a challenge for you at times.
Fortunately, you three boys live in a stable environment with two loving parents. Consider yourselves blessed. Your parents are working hard to raise you right. Love them and appreciate them even when you may disagree with them. And, on occasion, you surely will. Being a parent is not an easy job. I know that firsthand.
Thanks to generations of forebears, you have inherited a good name. Do nothing to besmirch it by some careless thought or deed. Whenever it is spoken, read or written, make sure it will make your family proud.
Be a friend to everyone but pick your friends carefully. Don’t try to be popular. Be yourself. There will be those who will try to drag you down to their level. By setting a good example, hopefully you can bring them up to your level.
Never say anything you don’t mean so you won’t give anyone any reason not to trust your word. That is another way of saying don’t lie. In my long years on this earth, I can’t remember a lie that was beneficial to anyone.
Go to bed each night satisfied you did your very best that day whether it was in the classroom, on the soccer field or when no one was looking. These days only come one at a time. We have no guarantees there will be a tomorrow. Be your best with every day you are given.
Life doesn’t offer short cuts so don’t go looking for them. Deal with life as it comes. There will be days of disappointment and times of frustration. We have all experienced them. You will, too. Stay strong. Be confident. Try to keep things in perspective. This, too, shall pass.
There is a God. I believe that with all my heart and you should, too. God is not Protestant or Catholic, Jewish or Muslim. God is God. Too many people try to justify their prejudices and narrow-mindedness by invoking the name of God. Ignore them. They are bigots. And when you have doubts — as you surely will — just look at the magnificent symmetry of the universe. This stuff didn’t just happen. Believe. Believe in God.
There is a pretty good chance I won’t be around to see you reach adulthood, but I am confident that even with all the challenges you will face, this will be a better world because you are in it. Thank you for letting me share these thoughts with you. Now, go forward and do good.
Love,
Pa
You can reach Dick Yarbrough at dick@dickyarbrough.com or at P.O. Box 725373, Atlanta, Georgia 31139
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