It’s August 9, 1982, and you, my younger self, are feeling pretty good! You are registered at C.K.S.S. for your grade 12 year. No more Christian High School! You have hated the majority of the last three years. That whole “you can’t take Economics, you have to take Home Economics” fiasco was the last straw. You have your schedule and you are truly excited about going to school. A fresh start with people who don’t suck.
Brace yourself. Seriously, sit down.
Mom and Dad have been praying. God doesn’t want you to go to a public school.
You, my younger self, have to be the first one in your family to graduate from the Christian Highschool. Yup, when your brothers and sisters when to the school, it didn’t go all the way to Grade 12. Now, it does.
Put that down, you like that thing. Breaking it will not make you feel better. Pfft, you call that swearing? Honey, you are in for a treat! By 53, you will have an amazing repertoire of swear words at your disposal!
Now, I am going to tell you something you already know. Mom and Dad believe they are doing the right thing because they love you and want the best for you. They are wrong, of course, but their hearts are in the right place. Later, you will learn to smile and nod. Smiling and nodding and then still doing your own thing will be important in the future.
I am not going to tell you too much more. You are going to be angry for a long time. You are going to do a lot of stupid things. You are going to do a lot of smart things. You will regret none of them. They will make you who you are at 53 and you are amazing. I promise, you will laugh more than you will cry.
Just keep doing what you are doing now: learn everything. Read anything. You want to know something, go learn about it. Don’t let someone else decide what you are allowed to know.
Now, stop scowling. You are not going to change their minds. Just get out some paper and a pencil and use that “dangerous” mind of yours to get a jump-start on figuring out how you are going to skip out of 49% of your classes for the next school year. You won’t get a detention.
This is not the best time of your life. It’s coming, trust me!
Love, 53-year-old Irene
This letter is in response to #oext259 Daily Extend.
Daily Extend: #oext259 #oextend Write a letter to your past student self https://t.co/JdgB7azuV2 pic.twitter.com/Cdoq57bW6B
— OntarioExtend (@ontarioextend) August 9, 2018
Featured image: Photo by Rob Potter on Unsplash
