Dear High School Me,
Hi! Guess who? It’s me, silly. Well, you. Okay, the older you. I’m you 24 years from now. I know you’re not the greatest at doing math in your head, so, basically, that makes me almost 40 and you almost 16. Before I forget…happy birthday! It’s a big year for us – Sweet 16 and the Big 4-0. You’re probably thinking that’s really old; but, it’s not. Lesson #1: Age is just a number. Now, I’m sure you’re getting all ready for your Sweet 16 party: picking out your dress, getting the cake, inviting all your friends. Just do me one favor and try not to break the bank too much, okay?!? Mom and Dad are willing to throw you a party, but don’t over-do it. You’re not Kylie Jenner with a white Mercedes waiting in the drive-way…but have fun!
So, you’re probably wondering why I’m talking to you right about now. I know you’re pretty busy with school, sports, your part-time job, and that boyfriend of yours. But I just thought that maybe I’d give you some advice. Ya know, from me to you because I’ve been there and done that…in other words, gone through it. I’m not gonna say that I’m a regretful person because everything I’ve done up to this point has made me who I am today. Mistakes and all! But, that’s also not to say that maybe I would’nt have done a few things a little differently had I known, or had somebody told me how it would turn out. Take today for instance…maybe if you had known that there was a pop chemistry quiz in 2nd period, you would have looked over the Periodic Table of Elements last night instead of talking on your phone for two hours. Keep that up, and Dad’s gonna take it away, I promise! And that’s not a warning, that’s a fact!
But getting back to school, how ARE you doing? It seems like you have a lot on your plate. Are you okay, how are you holding up? Take it from me, I know you can handle it…you’re a tough, smart girl. I just don’t want you to feel overwhelmed or anything. That’s really common, you know. If you feel like you’re stressed out or “in the weeds” — that’s what they say when a server in a restaurant has too many tables and can’t catch up — you can always talk to mom and pull back on something. The worst two things you can do is stress and lose sleep. (A) It’s so NOT good for your complexion and (B) it doesn’t help. That was Lesson #2: Don’t stress, get a good night’s sleep, and remember to wash your face at night with a good cleanser — otherwise you WILL have a crappy complexion, and you will not be thanking me, or you, down the road!
Well, I guess that’s it for now. I’ll check in with you from time to time. Have fun at your party. Be nice and say thank you to everyone. And enjoy the moment…you only turn 16 once…and you have A LOT of great years ahead of you!
Jennifer Warchol was voted “Peppiest & Craziest” and “Miss High School,” and she was a cheerleader in both high school and college. She graduated at the top of her class and went on to major in Journalism and minor in Public Relations at the University of Texas. Priding herself as a “city girl” and the next Carrie Bradshaw, she has lived in Manhattan, Boston, Chicago, Austin, and San Francisco. Now, though, she enjoys her suburban, stay-at-home-mom life in Hartland, Wisconsin, with her loving husband of 10 years and her three young children. Jennifer is in the process of starting her own PR firm, has two books in the works, and enjoys Zumba, snow tubing, kickboxing, and, of course, shopping.