On Naivete and the Young Writer

I was planning to write an entry on the naivete of younger writers - about how it's important to experience experience experience life to bring wisdom and truth to their writing. I do think that's true to a point.

But...

But as I thought about it, I realized that not all young writers are necessarily naive. I'm guilty of gauging their naivete on my own naivete at those early stages (and boy, was I ever naive - blissfully so!) but -

But...

I was also raised in white middle class suburbia by a loving family. There was no alcoholism, no physical or mental abuse, there was always good food to be eaten, we took our yearly family vacations in whatever model station wagon we had at the time; by the time I was born, my parents were in their early 30's and already fairly well established in their teaching careers. We always had plenty of Christmas presents under the tree. I was never the victim of any significant bullying. I went to middle class public schools, had a middle class girlfriend in high school, with whom I had lots of middle class sex. So in other words, I got nothing to complain about. (although, funny thing, when I look through the journals I kept back then, they are chock-full of 'woe-is-me' -type entries - I did suffer from incredible shyness and social anxiety, but still...)

But still...

There is something vital that young writers bring to the table. Maybe they haven't experienced what it's like to be a parent, or realized that not everyone's dreams come true even if they're really really trying, or how time speeds up exponentially with age, but...

But...

To them the world is still full of possibilities. Maybe they know intellectually they're mortal, but their heart tells them differently. And that can lead to some great writing, just as much as being a world weary and self-perceived wise old geezer can.