Dear Me in 1982,

You are about to embark on a very important 4 years: high school. You're supposed to make lots of decisions that will set the course for your life. Nobody is going to make those choices for you, or grab you by the hand and lead you to a decision. You are going to have to get involved.

When they call you for that one and only meeting with your high school counselor, act interested. Ask questions. Find out. Sign up. Make a follow-up appointment. Do not let yourself slip through the cracks because you're lazy and passive that way.

I know you feel very lonely. You don't know it on a conscious level yet, but it's true and it drives you to befriend people who, while they make you feel included, really aren't good for you at all. You would do well to just befriend yourself, study hard, set goals and ignore the guys. I wish I could tell you who to hang out with that might share Jesus with you, but if there are any Christians in high school, they're being pretty quiet about it.

When you go to Dona G.'s good-bye breakfast at Coco's your sophomore year, the waitress is going to ask you how you want your eggs. Don't say, "fried." It's either poached, scrambled, or a specific "doneness" of fried, i.e., over-easy, over-medium, sunny-side up.

And when you have that horribly embarrassing accident in your lavender pants in 9th grade science class, and it sends you to the nurse's office for a change of clothes -- that IS an emergency. Call your mother home from her job at the post office. Let her figure it out. She's the parent; let her rise to the calling. Stop acting like an orphan.

And do you think you might find it in your busy, busy schedule to write a thank you note to the aunts and grandparents that faithfully acknowledge your existence every birthday and Christmas? Stop being such an ungrateful teenager. You make me so embarrassed.

Don't give up on school. Read more. Look into some of the academic clubs that you don't even know exist. You don't need popularity, you need passion.

When Joe invites you to the homecoming dance, skip it because it's giving your mother a coronary. Yes, she's being a hypocrite, but have some compassion -- she can't help herself.

When Daryl starts to pay attention to you, be careful. He's going to steal your heart and shatter it in a million little pieces that will take you years and years to pick up.

When Chad takes you out in his fabulous Z28, know that he, too, is going to squash you like a bug eventually. Maybe don't chase him away by laying claim to him with that engraved keychain that says, "You're mine, babe." Yeah.

Enjoy your singing career with Tony. Don't get attached to him though; he's going to New York with Linda, and he'll work on Broadway for decades to come.

When Kevin invites you to prom your senior year, skip it.

You're about to discover yourself in the music department. Enjoy it, but don't be surprised that there are politics at work, even amongst the teachers at the expense of the students. Don't be suicidal about it.

When you have to choose between the student council and concert choir your senior year, choose the choir.

And do your best singing the national anthem before the baseball games your senior year. Your dad is outside the stadium waiting to give you a ride home, and he's choking up at the sound of your song; he'll tell you about it -- but not for another 15 years.

And stop smoking. You're a good vocalist, but if you take better care of your instrument, you might be great! Talk to your director about your potential, your future and the possibilities -- otherwise you will leave high school completely ignorant, as did I. And your music will be lost for decades.

And when you check out the radio broadcast trade school -- enroll! Even though it's a sham. Even though some of the teachers are not worth the time it takes to attend the classes. Even though you're pretty sure the administration is scooping up homeless people to get the government grants. Enroll!

Your perfect match -- your soul mate -- is waiting for you there, and you are going to be so loved all the days of your life. You're going to live a blessed existence with him and raise three of your favorite people ever. Marry him. You won't regret it.

Love,
You, 25 years later



Thanks for the idea, Connie!