What I’ve learned this year: Andrew Bolt

Andrew Bolt often tells us what he thinks about the news stories of the day, but for his final 2018 column, he reflects on what he’s learned this year.

This is my last column for the year. But rather than tell you what I think, here’s what I’ve learned.

This year I learned that youth — my youth, at least — ends at 59.

As a boy, I prided myself on how I could climb right to the top of the huge tree behind our Darwin stilt-house.

I’ve always since imagined myself as limber that way — until this year, when I fell out of the tree I was pruning.

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Andrew Bolt at home with his dogs Ralf and Kees. Picture: Aaron Francis/The Australian

I reacted so slowly as I toppled from my ladder, too.

Old man’s reactions. I’m now the guy that the rest of the family walks slowly for.

It’s embarrassing.

Still, that’s forcing me to deal with my children as a flawed and equal member of this family, rather than the infallible, powerful Dad.

That’s been humbling, and I have a long way to go — but already I sense a strange relief.

That said, I’ve also learned I am even more scared than I realised of cutting back on work.

I was going to quit as host of The Bolt Report, but for various reasons — like the delay in building my final home — I signed on again. Tell the truth: I was also scared not to.

What would I do with myself otherwise, other that start a podcast (which I’ve now done, details on my blog). But after that?

Related: I’ve also learned with greater force that making sacrifices now for happiness tomorrow is just missing out on being happy today.

And one more thing. An aunt has just sent me letters that my mum wrote to her family back in Holland. I’ve also just read a small memoir written years ago by my dad.

To my (arrogant) surprise, I’ve found I’d understood my parents far, far less than I thought. Mum particularly comes across as a much sharper and self-knowing observer than I’d ever imagined. She sounds such fun.

But here’s the thing: Mum died when I was 23, and Dad died this year. It is too late to build something better with them. I had my chance and didn’t grab it with both hands.

How many of us don’t value enough the people standing before us? Assume we’ve still got years left to know them better?

Christmas is a great chance to fix that. Have a great and loving one.

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