Question of the Day | 04/14/2008 12:00 am

What advice would you give to a 21-year-old woman?

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Earn, save, invest your money in your own name.

By Liz Smith on 04/14/2008 8:38 am

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Get off that cell. Stop texting. Don’t look at me like that. No, that’s mine. Yours is the pink one. Sure you can. Just believe in yourself. Is that my Shalimar? Those shoes cost how much? That’s private. You can get the job. You should teach for a year in Guatemala. Of course you can do post-grad, we have the money. No, auditions do not require you to take your clothes off. Who told you that? What’s this Zovirax stuff in your medicine cupboard? Magnum? Really? He didn’t look that … Red Bull makes you fat. You are beautiful. You can do whatever you want. He’s almost my age!

By Joan Juliet Buck on 04/14/2008 11:52 am

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Save money (I don’t care if it’s $1 a week). Once you start saving some, you’ll become more aggressive about it and learn to invest it. Just sock it away in a simple reliable stock market fund such as the S&P 500 or, as you educate yourself, you will discover securities about which you’ll feel confident; however, no matter, over time your money will grow. And wear sunscreen all the time — winter or summer — even when you think there is little or no sun. There is always light and light is the culprit. Love, Lily

By Lily Tomlin on 04/14/2008 3:37 pm

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It so happens I have a 21-year-old granddaughter who will finish college next February. She has never asked me for advice except on how to accomplish certain of her goals, which have been to spend summers or semesters interning in television, public policy think tanks, the mayor’s office and attending school abroad, all of which she has done successfully or is about to do. She always seems very clear and specific on what she wants to do or intends to do. She has had the same boyfriend since she was a sophomore in high school and is not remotely interested in my telling her that she is way too young to be as committed as she is to him. And who knows? Maybe I’m wrong about that. I suspect she is a lot like other 21-year-old girls in the upper middle classes in our best colleges — focused, ambitious to have an interesting and useful life, and full of confidence that she can pretty much accomplish whatever she decides to do.

By Joan Ganz Cooney on 04/14/2008 12:00 am

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Stay 21.

By Sheila Nevins on 04/14/2008 12:00 am

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Treat life like your closet, keep what works, throw out the rest and recycle as you see fit! Realize that your tastes will change and go with it, you never know what wonders await you. Let go of the past as soon as you can, be your own cheerleader. Last but not least, celebrate every birthday ending in a zero! oh, love you Sheila but if she stays 21, she’ll never be as wonderful as you or me for that matter.

By angela simms on 04/14/2008 12:34 am

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You don’t have to look like this picture to be beautiful.

By Mugsy Peabody on 04/14/2008 6:22 pm

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The best advice I can give your granddaughter is to always remember the pressure of the moment makes us lose our perspective, getting through that short pressure filled moment is often the hardest part of overcoming a temptation. I use this to help me through a lot of situations I come across in my daily life. Even dieting ,I know certain people that had affairs on their spouse just for their pleasure of sex with that person.,and then regretting it years later or even the day after.

By judy keck on 04/14/2008 7:13 pm

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Pay attention to your relationships, don’t think there is always something better around the corner, be here now, love where you are, be kind, take care of yourself and know that you can but don’t let it blind you to what others can do for you and what you can do for others. Be careful with your money, buy real estate and hold on to it, be healthy, stay confident, don’t always control and don’t have to be right all the time, ask a lot of questions, don’t make assumptions, trust in the universe and know that beauty is only skin deep and real beauty is on the inside. Be kind and gentle and don’t marry for money, marry for love and love often. Keep close to your family, they will always be there for you and can’t be replaced. Love yourself above all and follow your dreams.

By Joani Stewart on 04/14/2008 12:36 am

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I love these comments. I am going to send them to my niece who is twenty one and invite my daughter to read them. She is 14 going on 40.

By Jolie BK on 04/21/2008 8:23 pm

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Don’t depend on a man for emotional and financial happiness. We may be in the year 2008 but a lot of young women still see “marrying well” as the long term goal in their lives. BE YOUR OWN PERSON. You are living in a time where every opportunity is available to you. Get out there and do it. Maureen T. Cassidy

By Maureen Casidy on 04/14/2008 12:57 am

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Amen, Ms. Casidy. Wish I had someone like you giving me advice when I was 21! The best advice you could give a young woman - have your own FIRST! You’ve got the rest of your life to get married. Don’t allow yourself to be defined by whether you’re married or not, or what you own with your husband. There’s nothing you can’t do, just do it! And for God’s sake, don’t get pregnant! These are the words of wisdom I’ve been pounding into my daughter’s head for all of her 18 1/2 years: Don’t be like me…..be smarter than that!

By Ginger Richardson on 04/14/2008 4:38 pm

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Become independent - emotionally, financially, and spiritually.

By Maggi D on 04/14/2008 12:58 am

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…..and Amen to Maggi too!

By Ginger Richardson on 04/14/2008 4:40 pm

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Agree with Maggi. But my strongest advice would be to find out as much as possible about women’s history and how we got to where we are today. Without knowing about our journey and how hard some worked for equality and many of our freedoms, we take too much for granted. Realize that many women are still not free.

By Rachel B on 04/15/2008 5:28 pm