if i could write a letter to me...

 

 

Are you all singing that Brad Paisley song to yourself now?

Oh.
Well I am.
It's one of the few songs he's come out with that I actually like.
I think it's a good idea...writing a letter to your younger self.
And I decided that I'd like to write a letter to me, at age 17.
So here it goes.

Dear 17 year-old Lisa,













I'm sure you probably don't really think you need to hear from me.
Because you think you've already got it all figured out, don't you?
But there are some things I'd like to say to you.

You're smart, you have lots of friends, you sit at the popular table at lunch.
You're the Student Body Vice President.
You're cute (even though you don't always think so.)
But you know what?
I remember you pretty well at 17.
Even though you are part of the popular group, you aren't like all the other people in that group.
And you don't quite feel like you totally fit in with all of them.
You realize that high school isn't as great for everyone as it is for you and your friends.
And you do what you can to acknowlege those people, however insignificantly.
You smile at them in the hallway.
You say hi as you passed by their locker.
You let them borrow your pens.
You share your Orbit gum.
You casually talk about the biology assignment with them.
And you never complain about being stuck with them during a group project.
Sometimes it embarrasses you to be caught engaging in a conversation with some of those people.
But thank you for doing it.
You're a good person for showing others that you care.
That attitude will take you much farther in life than the attitude some of your classmates.
(And you'll stay in touch with the couple of friends that really mattered anyway.)

I also know you often feel left out because you never really have boyfriends.
You feel like the boys just think of you as a buddy, but not girlfriend material.
Sometimes it affects your self-consciousness.
But you know what?
The guys that your friends are dating are losers.
And most of them will break up in a few months anyway.
You're looking for more than a "high school crush."
And you'll find it.
Believe me.
And you'll probably find it sooner than you think.
You'll meet the man of your dreams on your first day of college, and you'll never look back.

If I could give you some advice before I go:

Be YOU. Don't be anybody else.
Don't worry about what other people think of you.
Stand up for others.
Don't be afraid to talk to people about that anxiety you often have. The more you talk about it, the better you'll feel.
Hug your extended family members more often. Some of them will be taken from you soon, and you'll wish you would have done so more often.
Listen to Mom and Dad. They're right 99% of the time.
Put yourself out there, and work hard to achieve your goals.

You're doing a great job, Lisa. And you'll be proud of where you are when you're 25.

Love,
25 Year Old You.

PS. Don't stress about Pre-Calc so much. You're never gonna use that stuff, and you'll still go to college and get a career no matter what grade you get in that class anway.