If I could write a letter and share valuable lessons learnt over decades of living, pop it into a time machine for delivery to twelve-year-old me, would my life have turned out differently?
How often have I sighed: if only I could have my life over again...
What advice would I give myself if I could travel back to my childhood self?
That is the question asked for The Silver Bloggers Chronicles #9.
Dear twelve-year-old Lizzie,
Before I start, I want to tell you that I love you, yes, do not ever forget that!
You know that you are blessed to have a loving family who dotes on you, and that you also love them with all your heart, but always remember it's not that way for everyone. So, if someone wants to be nasty to you or tease you, remember that it's not because of anything you've done. They're actually very sad children who cannot understand why you are always happy. Do not let that make you sad or change you in any way; just be yourself at all times, and just avoid them. You can still be kind, but you cannot change them.
You need to learn that it's not your responsibility to make the people you meet happy. I agree that you can try to bring out the best in people, and you will at times succeed. However, you cannot change the way people are. Think I already told you, but I'm repeating it.
You will be accepted for art classes in high school, so grab that opportunity. Do not let the fact that you cannot study it in your mother tongue deter you. You will manage the theory part, and your language skills will improve. Plus, you will be using one more God-given talent instead of wasting it! I know you will revel in learning art techniques from a young age.
I also want you to continue with your piano lessons and to never stop playing!
If you believe in something and are determined to do it, do not let failure stop you; try, and try again, until you succeed. But only if your heart is truly set on it.
You're at the age where you will come across peer pressure - do not be swayed to do anything just to be part of the 'in' crowd. Always remember who your true friends are, and always keep your word. If you do fail, stop beating yourself up, and learn from your mistakes, that's what life is all about after all - we learn lessons all the time.
The most important piece of advice I want to give you is to always follow your dreams, no matter the obstacles, and importantly, remember that it's never too late to start!
Would this letter have had any impact on my future if a time machine that could send messages back in time indeed existed?
It may have, but then I ask myself if I would have listened to such advice or not? I will never know, but I also would not want my life to have been any different; just one small side-step could have changed the course of my life in a big way!
𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙩 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙃𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨
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I don't particularly remember twelve very well, compared to other ages. I can remember eight pretty well, and thirteen, and all the ones after that, but 12 - it would have been 1999 for me; and I think it would have been during a change of school.
I do not remember what advice I could have benefitted from at that age, and its a funny thing to think about how disempowered I would be at a twelve year old, trying to receive advise from my current self.
Funny how memory works.
I enjoyed reading on your "go do Art, and go do Piano" bits. I went and did Art (at university, none the less!), but only started the Piano 18 months ago, and I haven't been regularly playing the Piano in about a year now. It might be time to move some things on :)
How I wish I did art and still played the piano, gave mine away.
Open that piano and start playing again, that's my advice to you.
Yes, I doubt 12 year-old me would not have listened to advice from an old woman!
It is a digital piano in my instance, so no need to be opening, more like finding a place for the things piled upon it. I like improvising mainly - as opposed to playing something that is reading from sheet music.
Ahhh, then find a place for those things😉 and make some music for the soul🎹
I gave my ancient piano away, I hope I can get a keyboard once I'm settled.
Have a great Wednesday @holoz0r!
Well, in order of my vision - a copy of my resume (I'm looking for work) - a note book where I scribble random musings, a pair of wireless headphones, The piano's power cable, and its cover. So not a lot of stuff :P
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Thank you @stresskiller!
I like the things you'd tell your 12 year old self. I have thought about that before, would I have listened if I had been told directly?
So does this mean that once you get settled, you will get going with that art? Do you still have a piano?
That is an interesting piece of art in the photo.
I don't think I would have listened!
I'd like to do some art once I'm settled, something like yours..I'll try to find workshops
I've never taken a workshop, but it would be fun I'm thinking. There are lots of youtube videos of different styles and sometimes even when it is not my general style, there are bits and pieces to still be learned from them.
About the listening, I think when we are that young, we can't even imagine the bigger picture of life, so even if we kind of believed what we were told, I'm thinking some of the significance of it all would still be lost on us. It seems you have to live a certain amount of life and nearly be grown up before the truth that there IS more of a life picture can be realized.
Hello, @lizelle
Your letter is very encouraging. I'm sure many of us resonate with you. I gather you're conveying a lifetime's worth of learning in just a few lines. Well, from the journey so far. I agree with you about the disastrous effects of a simple step aside, and whether reading it would have any impact, knowing the attitude of young people who follow their instincts. Perhaps this is the real reason for being here. But the most important thing is the declaration of self-love and the understanding that you can't change others.
Thank you for sharing a little bit of yourself with us.
$WINE
Your letter to your twelve year old self is full of wisdom, love and gentle guidance. I like the way you encourage perseverance, learning from mistakes and embracing your talents feels so heartfelt and timeless.❤️
True that if you like to do something and you are determined to do it, keep trying and doing it until you succeed.
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