Traveling back in time

Getting to know your colleagues even better than before

I attended an office session with some of my fellow Agile Coaches this Monday morning. Four of us have been meeting online every Friday morning to catch up, share experiences, and seek and offer help. We support each other in our individual professional growth. Another Agile Coach joined our group recently, so we wanted to get to know each other better and share our development plans.

We applied a beautiful format to deepen our relationships. The exercise was to go back in time when we were 18 years old. This format proved to be great for sharing some genuinely personal stories. Because I respect my colleagues’ privacy, I’ll only share some of my details here.

In which year did you turn 18? Where did you live and with whom?

I turned 18 in 1984. I lived with my parents, brother, and sister in a lovely refurbished old farmhouse in the Dutch countryside. Going to school meant cycling 15 kilometers (one way) in any weather conditions.

How would you describe yourself at that age?

I was in my final year of secondary school and taking education seriously. I was a relatively quiet guy with only a few friends. I was doing my best not to conform to what was expected.

What was trending back then? (music, fashion, gadgets, …)

Talking about music, I was finally over my Kiss period and very much into U2. I remember recording my favorite songs on tape and listening to them on my Walkman. Oversized jackets and shoulder pads were trendy, including a teased-up hairstyle. Of course, I did not have any of that.

What were the main news headlines?

I remember the news from those days, such as the immense industrial disaster in Bhopal (India), Bishop Desmond Tutu’s winning the Nobel Peace Prize, and the breakup of the all-time famous Dutch pop band Doe Maar.

What advice would you have appreciated as an 18-year-old?

I was a typical late bloomer. I would tell my younger self to think less and start exploring more.

If you could be 18 again, what would you repeat or do differently?

I’d challenge myself to be a bit more adventurous.

In retrospect, everything that has happened since then has led to being who I am now. And I’m grateful for all that. Who knows what would have happened if my personal history would have taken a different turn? Would I still be writing this story? Would I be reading it? We will never know…

I must admit, at my age, answering all those questions required some deep thinking and online searching. But it was worth it, and lots of fun, too!

How about you? How do you remember being 18 years old? Please let me know. You can also share your 18-year-old picture for bonus points!

Take care and till next time!

Kind regards,

Herman / Scrumpy Dad

I help people stay loyal to their goals and values and create more happiness in their lives.

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