Dear Me, You, and Us:
Here I am, writing to you from the future. Wait until you see what the future has in store for you!
My first and most important tip for you would be, don’t quit school! I know Dean K. told you that you should quit, but don’t listen to her! Talk to the school counselor and don’t be afraid to let her know that you are shy and don’t fit in. As it turns out, you are a lot smarter than you think you are. You just need someone to talk to who can help you get back on track. And, no, I don’t mean your mother.
In fact, have a nice long talk with your sister. She’s a very strong woman with a good head on her shoulders. She is very generous and loving, and has a work ethic you wouldn’t believe. I only wish I had known her better when I was your age. We are much closer now and I very much appreciate her. She is my rock.
When you’re 17 you’ll meet an older guy. I know he’s really HOT! He played the trumpet under the 7th Avenue bridge and you waved as the boats went by. He played drums with the Grateful Dead, so he says, and wrote you the most romantic poems. Don’t believe anything he says, he’s going to break your heart. One day you’ll find a book of poems that he copied word-for-word. What a jerk! You’re going to run away and work for a casket company in Cambridge…not exactly a wise career choice but, hey, it’s a job, right?
When you’re, oh, say around 21 or 22, don’t quit your job at the Post Office for a cross-country vacation that ends up in Hawaii. BIG MISTAKE!
Stay in school, go to college, get a good job, learn to play the piano, invest in McDonald’s, Intel, Microsoft, and Google!
Get married, have kids, do some traveling and enjoy your retirement.
Love,
Your Older Self
P.S. You know what? Forget everything that I just wrote. Well, except the parts about talking to your sister, playing the piano, investing in McDonalds, Intel, Microsoft and Google.
Every single thing that you do, including all of the mistakes that you’re going to make, is what makes you, well, you. We have a great husband who loves us very much, and two really great sons. We have the best family and group of friends. Sure, we’ve had some tough times but I wouldn’t change a thing. You did good, girl. 🙂