(no subject)
Writer's Block asks: what would you tell your 10-year-old self?
Hey Lil' Issa, since you're ten, I'll give you ten things that I wish I had known:
1. Dance more, even when people are looking. In nearly twenty more years, you're not going to care what they think and you'll be shaking your booty in front of complete strangers around bonfires because it's fun.
2. Give Grandma more hugs. I know you spent a lot of time with her and you were close, but the two of you were more "talking across the sofa", never "crawl up in laps and snuggle" types. You'll only have her for a few more short months; make the most of your time.
3. Don't form that grudge. You know the one that I'm talking about. Be the better person and let all that anger go. Granted, there isn't much anger and you really don't understand what's going on right now, but it's going to fester and get bigger as time goes on and even though that person will never accept you as you are and constantly compare you to other relatives in a "why can't you be more like them, they're so much better than you" way to their dying day, at least you could say that you tried.
4. Dream big and chase after those dreams. There are times that I wonder whatever happened to that ten-year-old me who wanted to be an archeologist and then retire as a museum curator who has a successful art carreer on the side and married Indiana Jones. Don't ever let anyone tell you that your dreams are silly and a waste of time.
5. Apologize to Mom about the vase you broke during a game of indoor volleyball, even if it was Dad's fault that he missed your serve. And that missing piece you're looking for is under the sofa. If you don't find it now, you'll find it in about five more years when you help move furniture around and you'll be taking it out of your foot with a pair of tweezers while trying not to drip blood on the carpet. Thinking about the weird hopping acrobatics you'll be doing to avoid staining the carpet might be funny to you now, but it really isn't, especially when you're in pain.
6. That boy that you love with all your heart now is definitely NOT worth mooning over. Several years from now, you're going to find out that he's a deadbeat that has such a high list of restrictions on the girls he dates (seriously, you'll find out that he only sees girls that weigh under a certain range that is considered INCREDIBLY unhealthy and he's known to break up with anyone that gains a pound over his max limit) that you're going to wonder if he realizes that there is no such girl in existance. If anything, this crush that you've got going on will prove that you're incredibly faithful. Unfortunately, this crush that you've got going on will mean that you're going to ignore any other potential boyfriends because you have eyes only for him and he's never given you a single glance except when he wants to cheat off your English and Science papers. You know what? I'm going to reach out across time and smack you upside the head, just because. When you're my age, you're going to want to go back and do the same thing to yourself too. Just keep telling yourself, he is not The One. The good thing that comes out of this is that it give you a wake-up call to look for red flags and not bother with losers, no matter how cute they initially look. If someone has a long list of restrictions and "to date me, you must..." then they'll never love you for who you really are.
Luckily, you'll find out all the negative stuff about this jerk in time to actually flirt (yes, you'll break out of your shy shell and work up the nerve to say hi, I promise!) with other boys before you graduate. You even, and brace yourself, go to the Junior and Senior proms as well as both of the Homecoming dances! I know, it's a lot to take in, but that dress you wear for your Senior Homecoming is going to be great and it'll still fit you ten years after high school, which is something to celebrate.
7. Make friends with that one girl in your class. When you're my age, you're going to realize that she's your future boss's daughter. Even if you don't make friends with her, Mr. Boss Man is still one of the coolest guys to work for.
8. Start saving money now instead of blowing it on silly stuff. That car that you're going to pay for by yourself without anyone else's help would have been paid for faster if you had put aside some cash right about now. You've got a bank account: put half of your allowance in it and use the other half to blow on silly stuff. (see, I'll still let us have fun!)
9. PE is hell, I remember. But please, talk Mom out of buying those itty bitty shorts at that monogram shop next year when you head off to 6th grade. I know all the other girls are wearing them, but you don't have their itty bitty butt to pull them off and you're going to wind up wearing bike shorts underneath. Save yourself the discomfort and embarrassment and just go to Wal-Mart for some comfy workout shorts instead. You can still take them to the monogram shop to get your initials on them.
10. Lighten up, honey. I know you're a Capricorn, but you don't have to be so darn serious all the time. You laugh and joke around with Mom and Dad; let others around you see that too. I know that's just the way you are with people you're not familiar with (heck, I still catch myself being standoffish when meeting new people, which is not a good thing to fall back on during blind dates, even if you dont' realize that you're doing it, BTW) but you're funny and smart and one of the best sorts of friends that people could ask for, if you'd only let others in.
I know that it sounds like I'm nagging you, but you really have a good life ahead. Going a few years down the road, there's going to be ups and downs (like that time in 8th grade when you lost your Science homework and had to recopy the entire periodic table THREE TIMES) and some bullying (you're going to be incredibly familiar with spending the lunch time in the library, but please, step away from the shelf of Poe. Your Morbid Phase went on waaaaay too long) but you're also going to meet some people a year or two ahead of you that you're going to establish your high school friendships with. These people aren't going to care what cliques you're in or what you look like or how you dress. They're going to care about YOU, which is going to do wonders with your confidence and self-esteem issues. And trust me, high school is going to be the best four years of your educational life. When you look back at it when you're nearly thirty, if given the chance to do it all over knowing what you know now, you'd do it in a heartbeat.
Well, maybe if there was an option to get out of doing PE my Freshman and Sophmore years. Add a note to yourself to talk Mom out of buying you those itty bitty shorts for 9th grade PE too. Yes, you might have had nice legs (you'll go through another growth spurt between 8th and 9th grade, so yay for being able to snag the top lockers!), but running track in those chafed something awful.
Love,
29-year-old Issa, who you probably think is "sooooo old!" right now.
Hey Lil' Issa, since you're ten, I'll give you ten things that I wish I had known:
1. Dance more, even when people are looking. In nearly twenty more years, you're not going to care what they think and you'll be shaking your booty in front of complete strangers around bonfires because it's fun.
2. Give Grandma more hugs. I know you spent a lot of time with her and you were close, but the two of you were more "talking across the sofa", never "crawl up in laps and snuggle" types. You'll only have her for a few more short months; make the most of your time.
3. Don't form that grudge. You know the one that I'm talking about. Be the better person and let all that anger go. Granted, there isn't much anger and you really don't understand what's going on right now, but it's going to fester and get bigger as time goes on and even though that person will never accept you as you are and constantly compare you to other relatives in a "why can't you be more like them, they're so much better than you" way to their dying day, at least you could say that you tried.
4. Dream big and chase after those dreams. There are times that I wonder whatever happened to that ten-year-old me who wanted to be an archeologist and then retire as a museum curator who has a successful art carreer on the side and married Indiana Jones. Don't ever let anyone tell you that your dreams are silly and a waste of time.
5. Apologize to Mom about the vase you broke during a game of indoor volleyball, even if it was Dad's fault that he missed your serve. And that missing piece you're looking for is under the sofa. If you don't find it now, you'll find it in about five more years when you help move furniture around and you'll be taking it out of your foot with a pair of tweezers while trying not to drip blood on the carpet. Thinking about the weird hopping acrobatics you'll be doing to avoid staining the carpet might be funny to you now, but it really isn't, especially when you're in pain.
6. That boy that you love with all your heart now is definitely NOT worth mooning over. Several years from now, you're going to find out that he's a deadbeat that has such a high list of restrictions on the girls he dates (seriously, you'll find out that he only sees girls that weigh under a certain range that is considered INCREDIBLY unhealthy and he's known to break up with anyone that gains a pound over his max limit) that you're going to wonder if he realizes that there is no such girl in existance. If anything, this crush that you've got going on will prove that you're incredibly faithful. Unfortunately, this crush that you've got going on will mean that you're going to ignore any other potential boyfriends because you have eyes only for him and he's never given you a single glance except when he wants to cheat off your English and Science papers. You know what? I'm going to reach out across time and smack you upside the head, just because. When you're my age, you're going to want to go back and do the same thing to yourself too. Just keep telling yourself, he is not The One. The good thing that comes out of this is that it give you a wake-up call to look for red flags and not bother with losers, no matter how cute they initially look. If someone has a long list of restrictions and "to date me, you must..." then they'll never love you for who you really are.
Luckily, you'll find out all the negative stuff about this jerk in time to actually flirt (yes, you'll break out of your shy shell and work up the nerve to say hi, I promise!) with other boys before you graduate. You even, and brace yourself, go to the Junior and Senior proms as well as both of the Homecoming dances! I know, it's a lot to take in, but that dress you wear for your Senior Homecoming is going to be great and it'll still fit you ten years after high school, which is something to celebrate.
7. Make friends with that one girl in your class. When you're my age, you're going to realize that she's your future boss's daughter. Even if you don't make friends with her, Mr. Boss Man is still one of the coolest guys to work for.
8. Start saving money now instead of blowing it on silly stuff. That car that you're going to pay for by yourself without anyone else's help would have been paid for faster if you had put aside some cash right about now. You've got a bank account: put half of your allowance in it and use the other half to blow on silly stuff. (see, I'll still let us have fun!)
9. PE is hell, I remember. But please, talk Mom out of buying those itty bitty shorts at that monogram shop next year when you head off to 6th grade. I know all the other girls are wearing them, but you don't have their itty bitty butt to pull them off and you're going to wind up wearing bike shorts underneath. Save yourself the discomfort and embarrassment and just go to Wal-Mart for some comfy workout shorts instead. You can still take them to the monogram shop to get your initials on them.
10. Lighten up, honey. I know you're a Capricorn, but you don't have to be so darn serious all the time. You laugh and joke around with Mom and Dad; let others around you see that too. I know that's just the way you are with people you're not familiar with (heck, I still catch myself being standoffish when meeting new people, which is not a good thing to fall back on during blind dates, even if you dont' realize that you're doing it, BTW) but you're funny and smart and one of the best sorts of friends that people could ask for, if you'd only let others in.
I know that it sounds like I'm nagging you, but you really have a good life ahead. Going a few years down the road, there's going to be ups and downs (like that time in 8th grade when you lost your Science homework and had to recopy the entire periodic table THREE TIMES) and some bullying (you're going to be incredibly familiar with spending the lunch time in the library, but please, step away from the shelf of Poe. Your Morbid Phase went on waaaaay too long) but you're also going to meet some people a year or two ahead of you that you're going to establish your high school friendships with. These people aren't going to care what cliques you're in or what you look like or how you dress. They're going to care about YOU, which is going to do wonders with your confidence and self-esteem issues. And trust me, high school is going to be the best four years of your educational life. When you look back at it when you're nearly thirty, if given the chance to do it all over knowing what you know now, you'd do it in a heartbeat.
Well, maybe if there was an option to get out of doing PE my Freshman and Sophmore years. Add a note to yourself to talk Mom out of buying you those itty bitty shorts for 9th grade PE too. Yes, you might have had nice legs (you'll go through another growth spurt between 8th and 9th grade, so yay for being able to snag the top lockers!), but running track in those chafed something awful.
Love,
29-year-old Issa, who you probably think is "sooooo old!" right now.