Hey fuckhead, listen up. Yeah, you. This is future you. Yeah, you made it. GOOD JOB!
As I reflect and look back to where you are and where I am, I am truly amazed at how well you did. Since tasked with this "assignment" of writing to you, I've taken time for some real reflection. Know what I found? You're pretty goddamn smart and intuitive, and as far as major life decisions go, you wind up with a near-perfect track record. Now, that could also just be a reflection of our positivity-based approach to life, the universe, and everything, but any way you slice it, you came up roses. Again, GOOD JOB!
So, right about now, you're in high school. It's not as awful as you'll remember it, for a long time. The PEOPLE are not as awful as you'll remember them for a long time. You're the outcast. The one that gets made fun of. Ignored. Cast aside and bullied. It sucks. That shit is going to stick with you for a long time, but here's the thing. You know all the stuff you're reading about, with the future of computers and stuff? It actually happens. It's real. All of it, and more. That dream you had, the other day, of all the music you could ever want being on your Walkman that fits in your pocket? Shit, man, things work out so much better than you hoped on that front. But back to the point - things like class reunions (that you vowed you would NEVER EVER have a reason to go to) become sort of passe. There's a way people connect via computer (yes, even the dumb ass jocks) that will lead you to realize that most of the people you thought hated you are just as scared, confused, and lonely as you are. Some of them are better at hiding it, which isn't necessarily a good thing, but a lot of them have great memories of you and shared experiences you don't even realize. It gets better.
There will be times when you feel at the lowest of the low. Times that should be high points, and yet you wind up curled up in a dark corner, alone, crying yourself to sleep. Those times, not gonna lie, really fuckin blow. But the thing is, those times - each and every goddamn one of them - led you to make a decision that was absolutely vital for your future happiness, and looking back on them, you are SO GODDAMN HAPPY the wishes you made in those moments didn't come true. Always hold on to the hope, and always trust in yourself. You do good, and a lot of people turn to you for help and advice. Never forget the things that hurt you. Be empathetic. Care. GIVE A SHIT about people. Calm down. Trust yourself.
While we're at it. Don't drown your sorrows in food. Ice cream. Jesus, man, ice cream. It doesn't run out. I promise. You don't need to scarf it all down now, "just in case" the world runs out of ice cream. Put down the spoon and pick up a guitar. The older you get, the harder it is to do a LOT of things, and losing weight is definitely one of them. Seriously, stop it. Close the freezer. Now.
Music. That's kind of the impetus for all of this, in a roundabout way. So, let's start off like this. Those guys who can't possibly know what they're doing when they play THAT FAST? They do. I know you're taking the fast road to speed and it will bring you some local glory for a while, and that's a lot of fun, so I would never try to take that away from us, but in a few years (maybe when you're about 20?) when you've go that glory going, take the time to get back to the woodshed properly. Learn the major and minor scales (and how the modes work), at least, and work on things like alternate picking and stuff. These things don't come quickly, but that doesn't make them abstract. You can spend years on this stuff and it really will pay off. If you don't, it's a fight you'll have with yourself for decades. I'm still having it, and like I said above, the older you get, the harder it gets.
You can sing. You're not Dickinson, but you've got a voice and decent pitch. Stop being afraid or embarrassed. You could get REALLY GOOD if you tried, and you know what? You should. As I look from where I stand, the first genuinely GOOD singer you worked with happened when you were FORTY EIGHT FUCKING YEARS OLD. Good singers are hard to come by, but you need to accept that the greatest band in the world is never getting anywhere without a singer to bring it home to the non-musicians. Since good singers are so scarce, BECOME ONE instead. Make me a better person.
Put the ice cream down.
Scrape together a thousand bucks somehow. ANYhow. Buy Apple stock. Yes, the failing, second-rate computer company. Hold onto it until your 40s. That one thing alone will make you a multi-millionaire. Yes, really.
Be nicer to the people that love, like, or admire you. Arrogance is ugly. Realize sooner than I did that there's nothing wrong with being different - that different is what makes the world an exciting and vibrant place.
I love you, man.
