Recently I was doing a clean-up, going through stacks of old papers, and I found some scribbled notes from 30 years ago. It was like finding treasure.

In re-reading them, I realised that some stories must wait decades before they can be written.

During that time, one attains a certain degree of wisdom. Any emotional pain has long since dissipated, and one is able to appreciate the humour of the situation.

Even better is the realisation that what was once a major calamity in your life, in hindsight provided a huge benefit that set you on the right path.