I was listening to the radio this afternoon when I heard that song from Brad Paisley...the one where he writes a letter to himself at 16. It got me thinking. What would I say to myself if I were to do that? Write a letter to my former self? When I really sat down and thought about it, I started coming up with a plethora of things that I probably would say to myself in the past. Here are just a few snippets of what I would say to my former self:
1) First of all, your first love will NOT be the boy in high school whom you can't even look at without turning seventeen shades of red (Ahem, will the real Joe Sherry please stand up?). You will go through high school and college, dating a barrage of boys and young men that really mean nothing to you, until you meet the man who is now your husband. Enjoy it. Have fun. But, realize that this is just a trip until you get to your final destination.
2) Your late night trips to Taco Bell and Dunkin' Donuts with your college friends will possibly be one of the most memorable thoughts in your history. Far above the boys you dated....FAR above them.
3) I would have told myself to not bother working at that summer camp, or at that convenience store, and to just work at Cedar Point every sunner, instead. You'd find that some of the best friends you could ever make will come out of that experience.
4) All those times you spent hating certain people in high school were not worth it. In fact, it'll do nothing. (yes, this is true. There were two certain people I adamantly loathed....on top of one particular teacher). Don't stress it. It doesn't amount to anything but pure resentment in your heart, many years later.
5) All those concerts you sang in? Yeah, they don't amount to anything either. You do NOT grow up to be a famous country or classical singer. In fact, you drop out of music school in the first semester. Don't bother.
6) I would tell my former self that people come into your life for a season, and then they pass. This goes for all aspects of life...high school, college, even afterwards. There are people who come forever, and there are people who pass for a season. Enjoy them while they're there....but don't worry when they're not. They were meant to be there for a reason, and they were meant to leave for a reason, too.
7) Even though you say in high school that you do NOT want children (yes, this is also true!), you end up with two beautiful, loveable little girls that you would kill to protect. And you're going to like it that way.
8) You WILL be a mini-van mom! And, regardless of what you say now, you won't care what others think!
9) Don't get that credit card in college! Don't do it! It'll ruin your life! Nothing at Sears is so worth going through the years of bad credit you will go through!
10) Make sure you listen to your heart. People will try to persuade you in either direction, except the one you want to go. Don't listen to them. It will save you a lot of hard work, pain, and embarrassment if you just listen to what your heart is telling you.
11) Eat healthy now! Get in shape....so you don't develop diabetes in the future. It's a pain in the ass. It's not pleasant. You won't like it.
12) Listen to Mom and Dad. Yeah, right now they sound like fools that know nothing. But, trust me, they do. And while you're listening, love them, because they won't be around forever. And tell them you love them every chance you get. You'll miss it when the opportunity is no longer there.
13) Don't eat the fish at TGIF's in Elmira. You end up in the ER with an allergic reaction and a really long needle of epinephrin in your ass.
14) Believe it or not, you WILL shop at second hand stores....and you will actually ENJOY it!!!
15) You cannot survive on Raman Noodles and Spaghettios. Learn to cook now!
16) Have a wedding reception after you get married. I don't regret anything in my life now, except for the fact that we didn't have one. I never got to share my love and marriage with my friends and family.
17) Accept the fact that the world does not revolve around you. You actually have to adapt yourself to work with the world. You revolve around it. The sun will rise every morning, whether you do or not. The quicker you learn this, the easier it will be on you.
18) And last, but not least, work hard at everything you do. Be sympathetic, be polite, and never use vulgar language in the company of strangers. It makes you look dumb and uneducated. You've, I mean, WE'VE, worked too hard to get where we are now to have someone look at me in a negative light.
What would you tell your former self????
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