Letter to my teenage self 2023

 

Dear teenage me, 

I know this sounds weird, but this is yourself over 50 years from now. I am writing this letter from the future to give you some advice on life. Pay attention for once. This is important.

I can tell you something now that will be even stranger than me writing to you from the future; You will run your own business someday and make a decent living at it. Yea, I know, pretty ironic, huh? Mr. I don’t give a damn about business. As much as you suck at math now, in the future there will be calculators that you can fit in your pocket. Math will be easier. But learn it anyway. Counting on your fingers when there is no calculator is embarrassing. However, your saying when ever you make a math mistake of “I learned to draw in math class” is still pretty funny after all these years.

Continue to be curious about everything. It is the single biggest factor that makes running your own business possible, and you will be surprised at all the talents your curiosity will lead you to.

On the other hand, when your father tells you to get a civilian job at the Air Force base, or at the post office, make a bigger effort to do it. You could be retired by now.

Your instincts on the factory jobs are spot on. You would hate it. Most of them are closed now.

I know you have no interest in the business world, but when you first hear of a company called “Microsoft” buy all the stock you can afford. Sell any and all stock before 2001. Wait nine years and buy as many houses as you can afford. Sounds like crazy talk, right? Trust me.

Do buy a house as soon as you can afford it. Paying rent for something you will never own is a huge waste of money. But you already know that, don’t you?

Follow your instincts! Do all those crazy things that cross your mind. Most things you do will turn out okay. You will rarely be sorry for things you do, but you will almost always be sorry for things you don’t do. Some of that success is because you are a very lucky guy. Not at things like the lottery or gambling, but life in general. Just pay close attention to your instincts when they tell you NOT to do something. Those instincts will save your life…several times.

Travel as often as you can. You may be able to afford it better when you’re older, but you will eventually be so tired that you won’t care if you do or not.

You already know that drinking and drugs are not your thing. You will be amazed at how much cheaper (and easier) life will be without these addictions.

Have someone take your picture. A picture of all of you, not just a head shot. Take a real good look at it and you may notice that you are not as fat as you think you are.

But stop drinking all that Pepsi, because that stuff WILL make you fat.

Don’t be afraid to chat up the pretty girls. Sure they might shoot you down, then tell all of their friends how that goofy chump tried to put the moves on them. But what if they don’t? What if all the other guys shy away from them too? They might be as lonely as you are. Besides, you REALLY don't expect anything to happen anyway, do  you?

Sex is as good, if not better, than you think it will be. Don’t wait so long to check it out. Totally ignore your mothers advice to stay away from the “bad” girls. They have lots of fun things to offer a curious fellow.

Oh, here’s a big one; don’t be so damn gullible. The world is full of shysters and they live to separate you from your money. A lot of them are very good at it.

I’d leave you a link to my blog entitled “Things I have learned about life” but you don’t know what the hell a blog is do you? Don’t worry about it. You will.

You will soon learn that it is easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to ask for permission. Forgiveness is usually easier to get. Getting permission can stop you cold.

I think that’s about it. My flying car is here to pick me up.

Hah!

Got ya.

No flying cars yet, (well, not production models anyway) but the Dick Tracy watches?…Those are pretty cool. We call them cell phones. They are a major technological invention., even better than FM stereo. They replace phones, alarm clocks, cameras, encyclopedias, newspapers, and probably a few things I can’t think of right now.

It’s a big fascinating world. Go out and enjoy life. Be fearless. Your luck and common sense will get you through most things in life.