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Do you know what intergenerational friendship is? Well, I didn’t too until I started writing this topic. So, basically intergenerational friendship is when you hang out with a group of friends who are definitely not your age. How many times have your parents told you not to hang out with the guy next door because he is older to you, or your mom used the phrase ‘What do you have to do with a person that old’? LOL! I know that feeling because I have hung out with quite a few old friends who were at least 6-8 years older to me. Yeah, yeah, people do raise their eyebrows and consider it totally uncommon. But, let me tell you that when you have a friend way older to you, you get to see life differently and it opens door to new perspectives.
Well, old here doesn’t necessarily have to mean 20 years older than you. Oh no! Not that old! This is someone who has been there, done it and can now guide you into doing the right kind of things. May be, if you are in your mid-twenties, your friend could be in her early or mid-thirties. Well, if I have caught your attention till now, then good, because it is only going to get more interesting from now on. Having said that, let me jump into some important reasons for having an older friend and know why you should definitely have at least one older friend.
Top Reasons for Having an Older Friend
1They have seen it all
Well, believe it or not, but these older friends of yours will definitely know it all. Yes, they are the ones who can tell you what to do, what not to do, whom to date, what to buy, where to buy, etc. They can be specific about things and most of the times, it turns out to be correct. They basically know what is waiting on the other side for you.
In fact the really cool part about them is that, they will even know what will happen next if you tell them what you have done in the past. They can get all magical and predict your near future. Well, you might wonder if you really need an older friend to figure out these stuff. Trust me, an older friend is double the time wiser and is chill about things. It gets easier for you to talk to them and ask doubts or life questions.
2They give reality checks
Basically they know that life is not going to be ideal and dreamy. They have been you and have crossed that phase of life. They will give you hard hitting reality checks about life, about your career and almost about everything under the sun. They say it right on your face and though it is hard to accept,more than half of their reality checks are true and unfortunately spot on. They will ask you to cut the crap and face reality. Yeah, they can be a pain in the wrong place, sometimes!
3They will ask you to chill
Since your older friend has probably seen almost everything, she/he will ask you to chill if you start fretting over petty issues. Well, these issues wouldn’t be petty to you, but they will make it look like worse things are going to happen and this is nothing.
They will make you realize that problems never end and something or the other crops up as and when you grow. They will give the right kind of advice and will tell you to stop fussing about something that can’t be changed.
[Also Read – Have a long distance best friend]
4They will never judge
Trust me, this is one thing you can feel awesome about when you are around your older friend. He/she has probably made stupider, sillier and funnier mistakes than you have. So, there is no room for judgments. They will not judge you at all. So, be all stupid you want around them and don’t hesitate to ask them if you need their help.
5Career gurus
If you have an older friend from the same career line, you are blessed! Well, I do have one older friend who exactly knows what I would want if I go to her asking for help. The advantage of having an older friend is that, they would have explored so many career options and it becomes easy for them to close their eyes and advice you on the same. They aren’t too old like your parents, nor are they of your age being confused and paranoid about career. They are the appropriate age and have enough experience to give you career advice.
6They pamper you
Well the cute thing about being the youngest in the group, is when they will automatically consider you to be the kid of the group. They become so close to you that you will stop feeling uncomfortable around them, you will not even think about the age difference. You will definitely be able to talk to them about everything under the sun without any kind of inhibitions. Smoke talks, chai talks or drink talks become fun and you will not realize when they start feeling like your sibling!
An older friend is definitely a blessing in disguise. If you have someone like this, write to us about the various things you guys discuss!
-Pavithra Ravi
