Some of us have them more than others, and for people like me they seem to come on days when the world dumps too much on your plate than you think you can handle and you wonder how you'll ever get it done. Today was one of those days for me, fortunatly it was just work stuff for me and I can find some way to walk away from it for the night and deal with it tomorrow...somehow...
I was talking to an old high school friend today on Google chat, one of those friends that I've gone years without talking to and for some reason we started having random chats the other day. While we talked I remembered all the promises I made to myself after I had graduated from high school and moved back to Connecticut from Vermont and how none of them have been kept. Why do we do that? Why do we continue to make promises to ourselves that we don't keep? Why not keep just one and feel better? Or would we be mad that we only kept one, not the other ten or twenty.
I remember high school, it's funny though, it seems that I only remember the good times...why do we do that, only remember the good, not the bad? We remember why that person was our best friend all through high school, but can't remember why we aren't friends anymore...why that person was our "one true love" that we swore we would never forget yet we haven't thought about them since graduation?
I thought about what I would say if, like Brad Paisley, I could write a letter to "me"...I decided to change that though, what would I say to the class of 2012 as they get ready to face graduation in a few months and move on to college, work, the armed forces or whatever it is they decide they want to do.
These are my lessons learned to the Class of 2012:
- Don't ever let your closest friends in HS stop being at least a friend. My best friends in high school I barely talk to anymore, life caught up with all of us, we all moved our own ways and it seems that sometime after that third or fourth classmate got married we drifted apart. Sure, we are friends on Facebook, but I can't tell you when the last time I talked to one of them on the phone was...don't let them go. Remember, they were your best friend at the awkward times in your life, they will continue to love you no matter what decisions you make after high school.
- That "true love" in high school, most likely wasn't "the one" for you, you may not see it now, and it may take years for you to see it, but chances are you will find your one true love years later. Someday you'll look back at one of your darkest moments and say "what if"...we all have "what if" moments, enjoy those moments of remembering all the good times, but dig deep and remember the bad too. They went through moments in your life that you will always look back on and remember with a smile, but they will also be part of the heart break you remember forever. If after 15-20 years you can honestly look back and think that they were the "one that got away" then see what they think...see if it's worth it, but remember, don't let them back in your life if there is a chance they will just break your heart again, but if they are really somebody that WAS worth it, then try it again, it may be worth it again.
- There is no such thing as a coincendence - if it happens, it happens for a reason...plain and simple.
- Tomorrow is always a new day - if today fails, hug the one that always makes you smile (if you can) and go to sleep knowing that when you wake up it's a new day full of new possibilities.
- Don't give up if it doesn't work right away - if you want it bad enough, it will happen, maybe not right away, but if it was meant to be, or if it was meant to be part of your path in the world, it will work out. Otherwise, move on and know that there is something out there you were meant to do more.
- Dream big! In today's world you can do whatever you want...never forget that! Never be afraid to dream big and go as big as you want! It's always worth the battle to make it happen...at least try!
- Love, love a lot! Never stop loving the people that have made a difference in your life! Don't give up, love hard and often...even if your heart breaks it was worth it, believe me.
And always remember when you become a parent...your kids are pretty much screwed...because whatever they can dream up to try to get away with...we did it, and we got away with it (most of the time).
