My Younger Self
I passed by a girl in her early 20s the other day who looked a lot like I did at that age - the thing that made me notice her was her outfit. It was one that I had donned a lot in my early 20s, particulary when I was going out dancing. It made me wonder if we could go back in time and speak to our younger selves what would we say to them.
Would I tell that young girl that black eyeliner should be worn less heavy in the day time and without the bright red lipstick? Help her avoid the bad choices that she makes, steer her toward thinking more before dropping out of being pre-med because it took time away from her social activities, have her not smoke as much, see that the troubled boys she fell for didn't want to be saved, fight her parents a little less. Maybe I would encourage her to laugh as much as she did, enjoy her travels throughout the world, go dancing as much as she did and keep the friends that she makes. I would give her a hug and tell her that there are times she should follow her heart and not her head even though it will be broken, encourage her to kiss a little longer, wear her skirts as short as she wants, and look in the mirror and see more than the imperfections.
Actually I would probably stay silent and not tell her a thing. It was the good and bad choices that helped me become more confident and grow as a person. What would you tell your younger self ? I could not disagree more with the saying "youth is wasted on the young"....it is isn't, they "waste" their time by devoting it to pursuing pleasures and they should because they have a lifetime to stay within the lines.
Would I tell that young girl that black eyeliner should be worn less heavy in the day time and without the bright red lipstick? Help her avoid the bad choices that she makes, steer her toward thinking more before dropping out of being pre-med because it took time away from her social activities, have her not smoke as much, see that the troubled boys she fell for didn't want to be saved, fight her parents a little less. Maybe I would encourage her to laugh as much as she did, enjoy her travels throughout the world, go dancing as much as she did and keep the friends that she makes. I would give her a hug and tell her that there are times she should follow her heart and not her head even though it will be broken, encourage her to kiss a little longer, wear her skirts as short as she wants, and look in the mirror and see more than the imperfections.
Actually I would probably stay silent and not tell her a thing. It was the good and bad choices that helped me become more confident and grow as a person. What would you tell your younger self ? I could not disagree more with the saying "youth is wasted on the young"....it is isn't, they "waste" their time by devoting it to pursuing pleasures and they should because they have a lifetime to stay within the lines.
Love this entry Jules. It certainly resonates with me as I actually live with my younger self. Kate bears an uncanny resemblance to me . From the moment she was born I was overwhelmingly struck by it and it hasn't changed since. As cliche as it may sound, when I hug her I feel as though I am hugging my inner child. It is a powerful,surreal experience and surprisingly very healing. I don't know how I will feel when I see teenage Nancy walking around...she, I imagine will need a lot more hugging and I suppose I will too.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the read. Am loving the blog...
thanks for sharing that Nancy....you have infinite hug credit here...if she turns out like you then you really have nothing to worry about :)
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