Everyday Stranger had a very thought-provoking entry which was a letter to her younger self.
What would you write, if you could reach backwards in time and give some handy advice to your younger self? (I do realise that this is LJ, and the average age is, like, fifteen, so yesterday to you young squirts is, like, you know, yesterday, but use your imaginations.)
Letter to Myself:
Try to remember that things are going to be ok. It won’t seem like it, as everything to you is a life-or-death, everything-is-over disaster…but things will work themselves out. You’ll not actually be successful in any of the half-assed suicide attempts, but you’ll have an ugly tracery of scars on the insides of your arms. Avoid it now, and you’ll feel a lot more comfortable in sleeveless tops in the future.
Although you’ll get a lot of undeserved perks in life due to your looks, don’t get used to it. Looks fade, and everyone gets older. It will happen to you, too…trust me. And when it does, you’ll feel as though you need to re-learn everything, how to interact with people, how to get ahead in the world. It won’t come to you anymore, served on a platter, and you won’t know how to deal with that. Drop the arrogance…you are getting a lot of things in life right now that you aren’t earning. Learn to be a nicer person, because you’ll need it later, when you’re no longer Queen Princess Shitass (as my father called me once in anger, when I was a teen – I’ll never forget that! lol…).
You’re going to be pretty good at changing your life, having adventures, doing crazy things…and you won’t regret any of that. But *keep a diary*!!! You’ll find that the details fade, and you’ll regret that. You’ll have photos of a lot of it, but you won’t remember exactly how everything happened. The things that you always claimed that you would write about someday? You won’t remember half of it!
People will tell you that you’re going to ruin your life by partying and experimenting with drugs. You won’t. And you’ll regret the ones that you missed, and are now too uncool to try.
Take some damn riding lessons…you’ll find later on that, when you finally want to start training properly, you have a TON of bad habits to get rid of. You’ll be a lot more cautious, as well…so try eventing now, while you can bounce, before the thought of taking a drop fence scares you silly.
Don’t be so distant from your family. I know that you’ll continue to write and call each other, but you’ll miss out on much of their normal lives, and you’ll become a bit of a stranger to your own parents and sisters. Oh, and talk to the grandparents and great-grandparents, get all of the family history and stories that you can. Because once they’re gone, you’ll find out that none of your parents or the aunts or uncles actually know anything, and all of that family history will be gone.
Most of all…try to be happier. You kept your misery and drama and hurt feelings wrapped around you like a goth cloak, and you’ll miss out on so much because of it. You’ll have relationships end because people just won’t be able to stand that much drama. Be happy…be content.
Hmmm… I’ve seen other people write those too. I dunno. If I had the chance to write a letter to my younger self and know that it would arrive, I don’t know what I’d write if anything. I’d be afraid that the information would somehow alter my now. I agree about the diary, but then I always intend on writing more too… but then I think if I’m spending all that time writing things up, I’m missing out on things that could be happening. *ack*
My head hurts now. *tickle*
Wow.
That letter just made me miss you. In the more-than-I-usually-do way.
And I admire the honesty in your words.
I always miss you. When are you guys going to show the Angel boy some European culture* and come over for a visit? ;) We could have so much fun!
*We do SO have culture – I’ve seen the signs for the “Cultural Quarter” in Hanley. It’s not all binge drinkers and Burberry caps. :P
Sorry, that was an inside joke. You’ll understand when you come and visit. We’ll take a tour of fabulous downtown Hanley…but you’ll have to wear a tracksuit. It’s so chic.
You don’t think you’ll forget any of it, because it’s so vivid at the time…but you will. You’ll remember the facts, but not the colour, not what everyone said.
Oh, yes. I can so see you in a tracksuit.
:P