By Angela Keenan WHS Work Experience AMONG the 30,169 people living in Wangaratta and surrounds, I interviewed six to find out what advice they would give to their younger selves if they had the chance. Today, almost everything on the news is about climate change, cost-of-living crisis, housing crisis, drought, flooding, bushfires, seemingly one crisis after anoither so it's understandable to feel as though the world is in a never ending negative state of mind. But, for 80-year-old Lois Knox, looking back is a fond time to remember. She encourages young people to never stop learning and always accomplish their goals, no matter what age they might be. Lois completed her masters at age 55 and discovered that learning is a crucial aspect to life. "We should never try to dismiss learning and listening to others," she said. This piece of advice took us to Seth Garraffo; only 19-years-old and two years out of high school, his message to fellow young people was to get experience in many different fields and find something exciting and enjoyable. "It's better to look for a job you enjoy rather than something that pays good," he said. He encouraged his peers to study hard and work towards achieving their dreams. Seth's advice was similar to local resident Debbie Brown's thoughts. Debbie wished her younger self had taken the time to stop and reflect on what she was able to achieve, and give herself credit for the amount of effort she put in. "Work hard, because you can make a difference, everyone can make a difference," she said. "You think when you're younger 'oh I can never do this, I can never do that,' but believe in yourself." Debbie's interview concluded with some advice she had wanted to give other younger people, that was to remember the importance of properly looking after yourself because that affects how life your will play out. After interviewing elderly couple Stewart and Christine Owen, I learned more about the significance of childhood and youth. Stewart's advice was to stay young and don't grow up too quickly; he said there are still many enjoyable things in your childhood and there's no need to speed up that process. Christine agreed and added that throughout childhood you learn manners and respect, she wanted to emphasise how vital being respectful was, whatever stage of life you might be in. "You've got to learn to look after each other, respect yourself and have other people respect you," she said. Interviewing Lois, Seth, Debbie, Stewart and Christine demonstrated some important aspects of life that we often overlook. Hearing from a young mother, Tegan Podbinski was a reminder to slow down and enjoy this phase of life. Tegan said if she could go back and give her younger self some advice, it would be to slow down and not rush through life's many stages. "You don't have to do everything so quickly, take your time, slow down, enjoy the ride," she said. Tegan said with age comes life experiences and knowledge, and she didn't think she would've learned much without those experiences. "Having the life experiences and realising that it actually is okay and it will be fine, you'll end up where you need to be. "See how it turns out." These interviews showcased a lighter, more inspirational view on life, reminding people that life isn't all about struggle. Talking to a variety of people was an interesting way to discover the different perspectives each person sees life through.
