To me from me.

There is that old saying: "If I knew then what I know now..." and it is so true. Unfortunately I tend to hear it echoing from older guys who look back and think 'hey, now that I know the game I could so have gotten that girl in high school.' etc. (Psst, no you could not.)

But for me it is something much different, though still a cliché. A friend of mine and I were talking about the music we used to listen to when we were younger, and I started thinking how I was a little darker (including clothes) and I tried to like this sort of metal shit--but never did. (I am glad I stuck to Zeppelin, the Beatles, and Sam Roberts) So we all change. I mean relatively. I was thinking about how little I have (and then I felt abnormal) I have been the same bossy, loyal, loving, loudmouth, princess, since I could talk. :P But I guess even I had some phases.

So I thought, IF I did know then what I know now, what would I say to young me?

Well, I would probably say: "Your taste is good and will stay so, so keep it. You can wear the dark clothes and funky boots if you want, and you should since after this artsy high school you will not get to again. You can also wear flip flops in the summer-really it is easier. Don't mind your dumb girlfriends who abandon your group of girls for some dumb guy....you think it will change but only slightly---they will still be dumb in the future too. Don't give too much advice to your friends that they are not ready to hear, I know you are scarily honest and cannot hold back, but these kids want to frak up their lives without you nagging them. They have the occasional input from their neglectful parents, p.s do not insult their parents' parenting skills to their face.

Also, do not think that guys get mature--okay well you are ahead of the game there since you do not. You know they are the same and then just get wrinkly one day but are still intimidated and dorky as all hell. Do not assume you know who your friends will be. The girl who did not talk is now your partner in crime, the other shy one is loud now but still always with you, no matter how much you guys drift in different directions. Some of the geeks you thought would not accept you if you were not geeky enough-love you too. (LOTR ALUM mwa) The people who look down on you actually are terrified and jealous of you-which is AWESOME. The people who like you and you trust now in high school etc are likely to also pull something that makes you yell the macaronic, 'Et tu, Brute?' Some of your great friends will be friends of friends, and forgiveness, my dear, goes a LONG way! Note that one.

Don't think you can plan your life out. Now you laugh at the 16 year olds who do that. It is good to try at times but leave room to account for delusions of grandeur and leave space open for new revelations that take you by surprise-i.e what you want to do for a living.

And stop acting so old when you talk back to your young self. You are starting to remind me of the damn Baz Suncreen song form the late 90's. And you never liked that."

Maybe that is some of what I would say.

What would you?