1. Don’t worry about being popular. It doesn’t matter in the real world. You are who you are, and you should be proud of yourself. Have fun, enjoy your friends, and don’t worry about what anybody else thinks. You think that the things you do now are important, and they are, but honestly? You’ll forget the vast majority of them in the fairly near future. Unfortunately, you’ll not only forget the bad things, you’ll forget a lot of the good things, too.
2. Keep a journal. The older you get, the more you forget. It would be fun to have a record of what’s happened. WHATEVER YOU DO, DON’T GO BACK AND READ THE JOURNAL UNTIL YOU’VE GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL!! I guarantee you’ll think what you wrote was dumb and throw it away. Don’t. Give yourself some time and space before you go back and reminisce.
3. Don’t fight it – WSU is the best place for you. Don’t waste time looking at other schools, dreaming about other places. WSU will feel like home, and it will be some of the best years of your life.
4. When you get to WSU, find an advisor. The one they assign you is NOT helpful. Go to the English Department Chair, and get her help. Don’t let time slip by, and don’t take classes you don’t need…you’ll regret it later.
5. Embrace the breasticles...You have big boobs. Deal with it. They are going to be yours from now until forever. Don't wear big, baggy clothing trying to hide them. You aren't fooling anyone, and you just look heavier than you are. When you're 30, you'll be wishing you were still as "fat" as you were in high school, and that your boobs were as perky. (How horribly cliche is that? Sad, but it's true!)
6. Don’t stop taking Spanish. You’ll wish you were fluent later on in life.
7. Your dad loves you. He may not show it in a way that makes sense to you now, but he does. Don’t waste time being angry. You can’t change him, and you won’t be happy until you realize that. You’ll really regret the time you missed out with him.
You and Dad on your wedding day. He cried EVERY time he got close enough to talk to you. That's why he's got dark glasses on.
The crying started when he first saw you in your dress. He realized his baby wasn't a baby anymore.
8. Stop in and see Grandma and Grandpa whenever you can. Ask them questions about “the old country” and pay attention when they answer. You don’t have much time left with Grandpa. When he’s gone, you won’t regret the time you spent with him, but you’ll regret the time you could have spent with him and didn’t. Grandpa’s one of the nicest men you’ll ever know, with one of the coolest accents. And, you know, they named you after him. Grandpa's the Captain of the boat, your intials spell KAP...coincidence? Not according to Dad. And when you're 30, it won't annoy you when he calls you Kap. It will be endearing, and it will remind you of how much you miss the best grandpa ever.
Cap, Kap, and Dad.
9. Your sisters are not as horrible as you think they are. You will miss them terribly once you leave for college. You don't realize it now, but high school the last time you'll live within 200 miles of them. (When you're 30, you still don't live close enough to them.) Absence really does make the heart grow fonder, and your sisters turn out to be two of the best friends a girl can have. Don't let them get under your skin now. And believe her when Mom says "There will come a day when you girls will wish you were closer!" As much as I hate to admit it, she's right.
K, T, L - circa 1982.
L, K, T - August 3, 2003
10. Don’t worry about whether or not you’ll have a boyfriend in college. You will. Have a little faith. You’ll recognize him when he has to duck to get through the doorway. His Southern drawl will fade (and that’s going to bother him more than it’s going to bother you) , but his love will stay strong. You’ll make each other laugh, even when times are hard. And remember, even if he doesn’t understand how you are feeling (and that’s going to happen…a LOT), he loves you. A strong friendship is the basis of a strong relationship.
J at 17.
J on your wedding day.
11. These are nowhere near the best years of your life. The best is still to come. Even at 30 (which, by the way, is really not that old), there’s more just around the corner.
That’s just the beginning of what I would say if I could write a letter to me.
2 comments:
sure make me cry why don't you...
My letter to myself at 17 would have to include "stay the HELL away from Nate Barnes, AT ALL COSTS, and for goodness sake, HAVE SOME SELF RESPECT." And about the journaling, I'd have to remind myself not to write something down I wouldn't be mortified at the thought of someone else reading (which reminds me I have several journals which need to meet with a firey end next time we have a bon fire...lol!)
and you sure are right about things from high school not mattering much. I remember very clearly thinking my life was surely over because of (add in frustrating, or embarrassing, or ETC moment of my high school life here) and LIFE GOES ON.
That was an awesome entry K.
I hate you K....you just made me cry at work!! All the guys are looking at me like "oh gez here come the water works..." LOL! Kidding that was awesome!
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