Tweet Your 16 Year Old Self
Posted By Kristabella on November 4, 2010
So today on Twitter there was this thing about tweeting advice to your 16 year old self. A lot of people had some very profound things to say about their youth. Things about the guys they were with that would hurt them and break their hearts. Things about their parents, or jobs, or friends. Things about their self-esteem and body issues. It was really interesting to watch it unfold, seeing differing perspectives from everyone I follow.
I tried to come up with something horribly profound to tell my 16 year old self. I couldn’t really come up with much. I mean, I was a pretty grounded individual. Some people may say I should have gone out and partied more, been less of a nerd and homebody, but I don’t know that I would change that. I have clearly made up for the fact that I didn’t drink or party in high school. I think starting it earlier would have just been worse and gotten me into trouble.
I wasn’t too angsty of a teen. I remember getting the most upset by the Buffalo Bills losing FOUR SUPER BOWLS IN A ROW more than anything else. Yes, I had my mood swings as a teen, as I’m sure my mom will attest to in the comments, but overall, I think I was a good kid. I had fun with my friends. I enjoyed being a band nerd. I was comfortable in my skin. I mean, hell I was like the only girl in high school who didn’t wear dresses or make-up or do my hair every single day. I was happy in a ponytail, jeans and a Notre Dame t-shirt/sweatshirt most of the time.
Thinking back, I’m pretty proud of my 16 year old self. She was smart and funny, had a lot of great friends, some she’s still friends with to this day. She could have fun without getting into trouble. She loved her family, probably not her younger sister so much at that time. She knew what she wanted to do with her life. She was going to be a sportscaster and do something with sports and no one was going to talk her out of it. She also thought she was going to go to Notre Dame, but that turned out to be the best thing to ever NOT happen in her life.
Sure, I could have gone to more dances and school functions, maybe joined the school newspaper. But would those things have made 33 year old Kristin a happier individual? Probably not.
Granted, I’m sure my life has not turned out how 16 year old Kristin wanted. I know she figured she’d be on ESPN and famous, with a hot husband and a boat load of kids. But I would like to tell 16 year old KJ that it is OK. Things turn out how they are supposed to. And you’re where you need to be and it will happen. It’s better for you for it to happen later in life than when you were 25. Everything happens for a reason and you’re on the path you’re supposed to be on.
Because let’s face it, 16 year old me, not a whole hell of a lot has changed in the last 17 years, has it?
(I just love how I’m wearing a sweatshirt I puffy painted MYSELF and a homemade scrunchie.) (Also, 90% of my photos from high school have me with my mouth open just like this. Always klassy with a K.)
What a great post. I’m generally a very positive person, but there’s no way in hell I could look back at my sixteen-year-old self and have such a healthy perspective. Good on ya. The only thing that could’ve been better in this post? I bet if you searched really hard, you could find a more recent photo of yourself in the same or very similar pose. Would’ve loved the comparison shot!!
Jenn´s last blog post ..The Cure
I love the picture! I think it is great that you couldn’t come up with anything profound. I think that means you are happy with yourself then and happy now. If not, it would be easy to point out something that should have been done different…. I was like you… a quiet bookish girl, who stayed out of trouble, and never partied. Can’t say the same now. Personally, I am glad that I am having more fun now, as an adult than as kid… So many people I know who had a ton of “fun” as kids, didn’t end up being too happy in the adult lives…..
hilary´s last blog post ..Do unto others
How have you not aged at all? Like, for real, not even a single bit??!?!?!
I actually was pretty cool at 16…well, cool-ish, so most of my profound advice is body image related…but I love that you don’t have that much advice to give yourself. You were awesome then…and you are still.
xoxo
alimartell´s last blog post ..Not much changes on The Young and the Restless tweetyour16yearoldself
You know, I don’t think I would want to change anything about my 16 year old self either. I mean, sure I had my moments but they made me who I am today, right? Sure I could tell myself not to dump jparks so cruelly when we were in high school, but it didn’t seem to matter much since we end up married anyway.
I say yay for embracing the past and not wanting to change much!
regan´s last blog post ..pms- its not just for women anymore
I loved this, K. Loved it.
And I’m with Ali – how have you not aged? SHARE YOUR SECRET. 🙂
Angella´s last blog post ..Write On
I loved the picture. Hilarious.
And yes.. what is your secret!?
pamela @vampiresmitten´s last blog post ..tweetyour16yearoldself
This might be my favourite #tweetyour16yearoldself posts! Certainly the picture is… 😉
Chibi Jeebs´s last blog post ..Tweet Your 16-Year Old Self
Ahhhhh, those Bills Super Bowls….I remember them well!!!!
You were honestly a joy at 16. Just like you are now.
XOXOXO
I am actually one of those people you have been friend with/know since you were sixteen. Well actually, since pre-school, like 30 years, holy crap!
You are lucky, there is a whole ton of stuff I would spout to my sixteen year old self, but nonetheless can’t complain where I have ended up now!
Um, hi, that is the BEST PICTURE in the history of ever. HOMEMADE SCRUNCHIE.
Oh, hell yes.
Kerri Anne´s last blog post ..I Can Be Alone Yeah- I Can Watch A Sunset On My Own
Band nerds FTW!
Regrets are such a waste of time. But often we just can’t help ourselves. Isn’t it good to know that you can do that retrospective and not feel any?
Karen (from Scraps of Mind)´s last blog post ..It’s starting to look a lot like Christmas
Oh my, you are friends with the heathiest, most confident women ever. My 16 year old self was a hot mess and I would certainly change a lot of things. Most notably my hair. Aqua Net wasn’t anyone’s friend back then. I was like Pauly D without the spray-on tan.
JENNerilizations´s last blog post ..And The Bully Kissed Kurt!
You should start an Etsy shop for scrunchies and see if you can bring them back. Scrunchies: Hair Accessory AND Bracelet!