I *heart* Copying...

I thought this was a good idea, so I'm going to steal it.

Basically, it's fun to think about what you'd tell yourself in an e-mail if you could send one back in time. Before I start, let me say that I'm fairly happy with how my life turned out, but there are always those little things... So here goes...

1 year ago (age 25)- Breathe. Relax. Don't close yourself off.

5 years ago (age 20)- College will end soon. You'll deal with a whole lotta lot after you graduate and before you settle down in a place you can't even imagine right now. And you'll learn from it all. Life can teach you more than school.

10 years ago (age 16)- Drop choir and take some random free high school electives... this is your last chance for a free education, and you'll have a lot more fun if you diversify a bit. Lift weights, it'll really improve your swimming, but don't stress out if it doesn't. High school boys are dumb, don't blame them for it... it's like blaming a dog for peeing on a hydrant.

15 years ago (age 11)- You will not be an ungainly girl with too-short pants and fickle friends forever. Just ride it out, they're called the awkward years for a reason. Being an adult in the real world is nowhere near as harsh as being a socially uncomfortable kid in an excessively popularity- and fashion-oriented sixth grade class. Don't listen to anyone who tells you you read too much. If you don't like New Kids on the Block, don't listen to them, even if a bunch of silly girls say they won't be your friend if you don't like their music.

20 years ago (age 6)- Don't settle for the "middle" reading group when you know you can read better than most of the kids in the "high" reading group... throw a fit while you're still young enough to throw really good ones! Don't eat the school green beans, they will make you vomit. Hug your grandparents. Don't surf in the wagon on the cement floor of the garage just because you're bored... you'll fall, bust something in your nose, and have a few years' worth of random bloody noses to show for it.