Ron Weasley's Advice to Anyone Who's Listening

Ron Weasley’s Advice to Anyone Who’s Listening

Wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. This is especially important if you’ve got pale, redhead skin like I do and can get burned just looking out a window. And I have some other advice, which I will dispense now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 40 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and realize that, no matter how ragged or out of style your robes were, you looked good! And you’d be surprised how many girls actually like freckles.

Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to train for the Quidditch team by watching your hyperactive git of an owl. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you in the middle of the night when your best mate starts yelling that a huge snake just bit your Dad – and he knows because he was the snake!

Do one thing every day that scares you. In these times, that’s not hard, especially with the people I hang out with!

Sing. Sing "Weasley Is Our King," for preference. But only if you’re a Gryffindor.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. This sometimes means, don’t be reckless with your mouth. It’s amazing how a simple comment like "He’s only going out with you to pump you for information" can offend some people.

Floss. My girlfriend’s got a real thing about that.

Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. Sometimes you’re the hero, sometimes you’re the sidekick. The race is long and, in the end, the people you’re most likely to be jealous of are the very ones you most want on your side.

Remember compliments you receive. Punch out Malfoy for the insults.

Keep your old comic books. Throw away your old homework.

Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. My brother Percy knew from the time he was ten what he wanted to do with his life and look how much trouble that caused in the end!

Get plenty of calcium, whatever that is. Some Muggle thing – supposed to be good for your bones.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children – in fact you’ll probably have lots and lots of children and your younger kids will have to take all the hand-me-downs and – er – never mind. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe your wife will be henpecking you on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, have a little workshop you can hide out in when you need to.

Enjoy your body. It’ll stop growing sooner or later.

Dance, even if you feel a right prat doing it.

Read the directions. Especially you, Hermione, because I’ll need to copy your notes later.

Do not read beauty magazines. Bloody hell, why would you want to?

Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. Just don’t turn your back on them.

Understand that friends come and go, but there’s a few you should hold on to forever. Work hard to bridge the gaps in talent, money and fame, because the tighter the brain wraps around your neck, the more you need the people who forgave you when you acted like a prat.

Live in Romania once, but leave before all your skin’s burned off. Live in Egypt once, but leave before you get locked in a pyramid. Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths: Everything’s expensive. Newspapers lie. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, newspapers were honest and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders. And know when to duck.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. They have enough to do just supporting themselves!

Don't mess too much with your hair or if it started out red, it’ll end up maroon. I hate maroon.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of hand-me-down. Dispensing it is a way of digging the past out of your closet, cleaning it up, darning the holes and passing it down one more time. Kind of like everything I own.

But trust me on the sunscreen.