A Letter from Old Me to Young Me.

* This post won’t make much sense if you haven’t read yesterday’s effort….. so if you haven’t read it yet, you may want to.

Dear Young Me.

G’day Kid.

It was really great to hear from you (me).

I was so excited when the mailman arrived at the door.
I knew from the handwriting, the dusty old envelope and the four cent stamp that it was from you (me).
I couldn’t open it fast enough.
Where ya been?
It’s been too long since we chatted… but then again, maybe I haven’t been opening the right letters or paying attention.
I know you’ve tried to make contact a few times.
Perhaps I’ve ignored you a bit.
Sorry about that.

Didn’t mean to.

Old people like me should listen more to seven year-olds like you.
Sometimes I think I’m more important than I am.
I get a bit carried away with myself and my very important life.
Sometimes I forget to listen to you.
I’ll work on that.

Even though you’re ‘only seven’, you’re smarter than many grown-ups, so don’t sell yourself short and don’t be in a hurry to ‘get big’.
Being big ain’t all that.
Lots of big people are tools.

We definitely need to communicate more so keep those dusty old letters coming and I’ll work at being the best ‘old you’ I can be.

I love hearing from you and I really dig it when you visit me when I’m asleep, so feel free to drop by any night.
I’ll only be sleeping anyway, so it would be great if we could hang out a little.
I spend way too many sleeps having conversations with people I really don’t wanna hang out with, so I’d much rather spend some time with you.

I have forgotten so much and I’d love you to refresh my memory and tell me all about me… you.
While it was fantastic to receive your letter, it was also kinda bitter-sweet for me.
Sweet, in that it was great to hear from you again, but bitter, in that I feel like I have let you down in some ways.
Perhaps my standards have slipped a little over the last thirty six years.
Somewhere, somehow I think I left you behind.
I didn’t mean to… because I actually think you’re ace.

I think I lost some of your (my) generosity and patience.
And kindness and gentleness.
And innocence and hope.
I’ve probably become a little hard and selfish.
Sometimes I don’t know if you’d like the me you’ve become.
Perhaps with your input I can change for the best.
Perhaps I can unlearn a bit.

I need to.

Okay, enough of the deep, depressing grown-up stuff… I guess I should answer a few of your questions from your letter and tell you a little about ‘old you’.

Well, I guess the good news for you is that girls become more appealing and less smelly as you get older. I know it’s hard to believe now, but in a few years you will even want to spend some time with them. And one day in the not-too-distant future, you’re actually gonna kiss one of them.
Freaky I know, but panic not my young me… it’s pretty good.
Almost as good as wrestling.

I probably shouldn’t tell you this but Helen Jacobs turns out to be kinda hot in a few years, so be nice to her.
I know you don’t really get this right now… but just trust me on it.
Be nice!

You know how you feel when you see that Eliminator skateboard with the ‘flexi-deck’ and the see-through wheels in the sports store (the one you desperately want but are not allowed to have), well multiply that feeling by a hundred and that’s what you’ll experience when you see Helen Jacobs in about eight years.

She’s like the best skateboard ever.

You asked me if I have looked after your body… well I’ve (you’ve) had my moments. I’m (you’re) no Brad Pitt (you’ll find out who he is in about twenty years) and there are a few creaky bits, but overall you’re looking okay for a fossil.
Compared to some forty three year-olds, you’re fantastic.

I’m sorry to have to tell you this Champ…. but the wars, the violence, the hatred, the starving kids thing; all the yucky stuff…. it’s still happening.

Possibly even more.

I know this doesn’t make sense to you now but as long as grown-ups are in charge of the world it seems like there will always be horrible, nasty, unfair injustices (bad stuff) happening to nice people who don’t deserve it.
I think that if seven year-olds like you made all the rules, the world would definitely be a better place.
A lot less violent and unfair anyway.
And way less homework.

You asked if I was still excited about my future.
The brief answer is yes… but not as excited as I should be.
However, in the last twenty four hours (since I got your letter) some of that excitement and enthusiasm has been re-ignited.

You have made me think.
You have made me laugh and made me cry.
You have made me feel things that I haven’t felt for a long time.
Chatting with you makes me sad… but also gives me immense joy.
Hard to understand, I know.
But it’s true.

I actually want to be more like you.
I know that’s a weird concept for you, but one day you’ll get it.

When we get old we tend to forget some of the important stuff.
We forget how to be kids.
We forget to laugh and play.
We forget to invent and create.
We forget to make others feel good.
We forget to enjoy what we’ve got.

We forget the promises we made to ourselves when we were seven.

In your letter you asked me if it’s fun being big and being able to do all that cool stuff and living without any rules.
Well, the answer is yes and no.
Of course being able to eat cereal out of the box without mum saying anything is certainly a bonus and having cheesecake before dinner is unreal… however sometimes being big kinda sucks.
You see, lots of grown-ups create dumb rules for themselves.
Rules that make their life an unfulfilling, frustrating, lonely and sad experience.

Lots of grown-ups are sad… and scared.
More scared than kids even.

Many of them are too scared to do almost anything.
You know how scared you are of the dentist… well times that by fifty and that’s how scared some grown-ups are of almost everything.
They don’t need to be… but strangely, they choose to be.

They suffer from analysis paralysis; they think about things so much that they never actually do anything.

As you grow up remember it’s okay to be scared.
And it’s also okay to do stuff that scares you (like going to the the dentist and sleeping with the light off).
Doing scary stuff means you’re brave and makes you strong.

Grown-ups should do more scary stuff.

You asked me if it’s fun being a professional footballer, rock star, fireman, racing car driver, stunt man and astronaut…

I’ll let you find out for yourself.

You also asked me if you’re gonna do amazing stuff and if I’m proud of what you’ve (I’ve) done (you’ll do).
Well, I can’t tell you too much little man ’cause I don’t want to ruin it for you… but I can tell you that life is a gift, it is an amazing opportunity and every day you need to make the most of it.

Keep learning, keep asking questions, keep your innocence and whatever you do….

….be nice to Helen Jacobs!

(She’s gonna be a hottie).

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