Dear Leonard

As I am on my 44th year and 362nd day it seems a good time to talk to my sixteen-year-old self.

What an adventure you were about to begin. You knew that the very act of getting your first passport at sixteen was going to be just the start of getting away from Edinburgh. In your sixteenth year you had your first flight, your first trip abroad, your first full time job and your second trip abroad, but the first all on your own. You also managed to fail nearly all of your ‘O’ level exams – but hey, travelling was going to educate you.

Two knocks at sixteen included Dad not signing the papers to let you go to sea in the merchant navy as it was full of ‘homosexuals’. Not something you knew much about then. The second choice of being a librarian was met with ‘No son of mine will work in a library’. So, a travel agent you set out to be, and that is what you did, successfully.

Sixteen was also the year you learnt the life lesson that you were either going to do things when you had someone to do them with, or you were just going to do it on your own. That’s how you found yourself hitchhiking outside Gothenburg harbour in Sweden all on your tod – and you’ve never waited for anyone since.

Where did you get your confidence from? No matter. The main thing is that you always wanted to know what was round the corner, and you just went and had a look.

That very same confidence will lead you into some work and social situations that people less understanding will call you ‘arrogant’. So, maybe, just tone it down a bit. You’ve always been a good reader, but you are probably not a good listener. If advice was needed to my sixteen-year-old self I could say, listen to people who are trying to teach or pass on their knowledge. But, that could be a bit harsh as you’ve always hoovered up what people you respect have to tell you.

I congratulate you on your work ethic, your enquiring mind, never asking people to help fund you, and always planning, working and saving so as to get what you want. OK, that means you are just about to head into a pretty shit social life, but what is the big deal about getting bladdered anyway.

When I look at you at sixteen I see someone with good foundations, and ready to head off and take on whatever comes your way.

It’s scary just how your game plan mapped out in rough all those years ago actually played out. You wanted to do all you’re travelling young. You didn’t want to work, work, work and then travel in later years. Way too risky when factoring in children, marriage and old age. You wanted to live abroad. You never wanted to have to fix a car, mend a plug or wallpaper a house. You wanted to earn enough money to pay to have that done. Well done, you managed. You managed it in two ways. You will earn enough to pay for it, but you went one step further – you married a woman who liked doing all these things, and got an electrician as a friend.

You’re optimism will serve you well. You are a good kid – go enjoy yourself, but just be careful not to hurt anyone along the way.

Your very good friend: Leonard