Pink Think: “…I know at 17 it’s hard to see past Friday night…” – Brad Paisley, from his song “Letter to Me”
Try hard as I do to resist my husband’s country music fetish lately, he has me hooked on Brad Paisley’s song “Letter to Me” which is a letter someone writes to his 17-year old self. It gets me thinking, “What would I write to myself at 17?”
At 17, I was a sophomore in college at Utah State University, rooming with my mother (who was studying her masters degree). I had switched from business to English (technical writing) for my major. I was a social butterfly who rarely sat still long enough to savor the moment, let alone listen to advice.
So here’s my letter, in honor of my poor mother who had to put up with me:
Dear Jewel,
Good for you, for being brave and switching to English. Only thing is, you really should take some creative writing classes, too. Take it now, while you are young and can go without sleep for 12 straight months, because once you are the mother of young children, you will need your sleep for other things.
It’s a lot easier learning now from teachers than learning the craft by trial and error.
You CAN make a living at being a novelist. Maybe not right away, but it is possible.
Make sure you LIVE, so you have something interesting to write about.
You don’t have to be rich to be happy.
If you ever get the chance to take a cross-country AMTRAK train ride on the English department’s tab, take it. Even if your boyfriend is crotchety that you will be back barely in time for Christmas.
Save up for that winter in Mexico program. Compared to other things you have to save up for, it really isn’t that much money, and you will love it.
If an editor position on the paper opens up, try for it. It’s scary, but it will be a great experience.It may be the only time you can say you were a newspaper editor. And who knows where that could lead?
Take more journalism classes. Maybe even TV and radio.
Try for the Miss USU title. For your talent, it’s possible to learn the tinikling in a matter of weeks.
That guy who broke your heart; hurts like heck now, but you’ll get over it, I promise. (Psst…there’s this wonderful man in store for you anyway.)
Someday, you’ll be paying for those chocolate chip cookies and soda pop lunches and I don’t mean money-wise.
That being said, who cares? On second thought, eat more Aggie ice cream.
Finally, listen to your mother. She’s really on your side.
Love,
me
PS Even though 17 is such an awesome time, believe me, it gets better than this.
What about you, what would you tell yourself at 17?
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It is an interesting thought. I’ll have to do the same on my blog if you don’t mind me linking to yours for the cudos. I’ve got a novel to share with myself. 🙂
Muta
Thanks for stopping by, Muta. No problem. I borrowed the idea from Brad myself :-).
At 17, I was still facing some of the worst years of my life. The only thing I would say to myself back then is : “You will survive, you really will.”
In a way, my current WIP is like a letter to myself. Or at least my main character gets to learn the lessons I wish I could have learned much earlier in life.
It’s an interesting idea, telling our younger selves something.
Now, imagine the letter your 60-year old self would write to you now.
That was very cool!
W: And you did, and then some!
Don: Yeah, isn’t it great to rewrite our life story through our fiction? It’s great to have more life experience; getting older is really not so bad. The 60-year old will have lots to say…
Shanna: Thanks!
Wow! You were a student at Utah State at 17? I learn things about you all the time.
P.S. I’m an Aggie, too.
Cool, Shari. Go AGGIES!! 🙂