I am sure like me, there have been times when you have wondered what difference might have been made to your life, if your younger self had been gifted with the experience and knowledge you have accumulated over the years.

I invited several friends from the writing community to share their thoughts on this subject which I am sure you will enjoy as much as I did.

Today author Judith Barrow returns to her teenage years and the restrictions that at the time stifled her desire to write and to teach, both of which she now embraces wholeheartedly.

‘If only I’d known then what I know now’ by Judith Barrow

If I’d known in my childhood that I could trust someone to help, I would have spoken out about the violent arguments, the troubles at home – but I didn’t. I kept quiet; I thought it was the best thing to do. The way to keep out of trouble. Not to be seen. Not to be heard. Not to be noticed.

And thinking about my teenage years, I often wonder what I would have done differently. I guess my main thoughts are that I wouldn’t be so afraid; that the world wasn’t something to be so scared of, that exciting things had been happening over the last decade beyond the small village we lived in. With the benefit of hindsight, I know I would have more courage to try new things, explore different places. Meet people.

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