To young Barbara:
1. Stop envying others’ tastes and choices
and rely on your own ideas. Find your own path even if you have to go against
what’s popular or cool. Start
asking yourself what you like.
2.
Speaking of which, don’t be afraid to not
be cool. I mean, sorry to break it to you, but you will never, ever attain
“cool” status. So just embrace that fact now and make your own rules.
3. Start
paying really close attention in History and Geography classes—because they
will both come in very handy when you grow up… And accept now that you really want
to be a writer (because you can use the extra—and early—years of practice).
4. …and,
no, you will never, in fact, miss acquiring those elusive math skills.
5. Start
yoga as soon as it becomes all the rage. You will love it and it will get you
through many stressful periods of heartache and frustration.
Deb:
To Young Deb:
1. You are
more than a body. Speak up. Say no. More than that say, “How dare you!”
2. You are
smart. Very smart. You just learn differently and they don’t have a name for it
yet, so demand attention and respect.
3. Try and
stick with the piano. Please. Learn to read that music at whatever cost.
4. Stop
being afraid of water, the dark, and whatever else lurks in the recesses of
your mind.
5. Learn to
balance a checkbook. Restrain yourself and your spending. You will thank
yourself for it later. 60 pairs of shoes, as you will soon find out, amounts to
60 pairs of shoes. Find the balance in this shopping world.
