Dear Teenage Self,

      I have been thinking about you lately. I wish I could've told you how wonderful life will be one day when you grow up. Sure you will go threw some rough patches but, you will be a better person in the end......and yes, you will be happy.

    I saw some friends of yours the other day online. "Online" what the heck is that? It would take too long to explain it but, it is a pretty neat example of what your generation will do. As I was saying, your friends have grown up too. Oh, and you won't believe who is a Student Body Counselor! I bet she never would've dreamed it herself 30 years ago....I'm happy for her. She really had a rough start and managed to make the best of it. Life is amazing!

    Many of us got together for our 20 year class reunion a few years back. I know ...I know.... your thinking 20 years! I can't wait to get out of here now! Why would I ever go back to some cheesy reunion!  Please... listen to me for a while though. Our 20 year reunion...it actually was pretty great! Your dearest friends showed up, it was like time had stopped and you were never apart at all.  You were just as close to some of them as you ever were. You also realized how wonderful it was to have shared some of your childhood with them and others who along the way were distant as teenagers but, guess what...? Turns out they missed you too. Seeing them again made you realize even more how blessed you are.

  You even witnessed some amazing things happen while you were there.  People who had made really dumb choices back then managed to turn their lives around. Oh, and you were one of them .... so, don't be so rough on yourself. It really does get better.

   I'm not saying you should make stupid choices....that's right...I said "choices". You know right from wrong ... you know what you "should" do. You won't always choose the right path but, trust me...nobody does. Quite honestly, the ones who seem to do the "right" thing all the time actually miss out on some of the really good stuff!
 
  You get to a point where you REALLY choose the hardest path for a long time.....but, like most things in life...if you don't give up and you listen to that little voice inside, you will be amazed at what you become. Even the "mistakes" turn out to be beautiful miracles of life.....because YOU have the uncanny ability to make the best of it.

  Don't listen to those that say you are a bad person and making bad "mistakes". Turns out listening to "those" people are the biggest "mistakes" ever. Remember this....age doesn't always make someone right or worthy of your trust for that matter...also, just because they are older or a person of authority doesn't mean they know what the truth is.

  You don't become an alcoholic, a druggie, a dope head. You don't become some illicit worthless being. You aren't those things now and never will be. "Those" people are judging you on their ideas of who they think  you are or what your family members are doing. Don't listen to them. You are a great kid!

 That Vice Principal who in your freshman year tells you how wonderful you were ... then in your junior year calls you into the office and says," You are a druggie and a whore like your mother. I bet you don't remember even where you slept last night". You have my permission to think about kicking him in his juevos....but, he's not worth it. So, don't do it. He has NO CLUE that you were actually sleeping on the roof top of the elementary school across from your house, in the freezing cold,  in the air condition storage room because your parents were fighting all night long and you just wanted to sleep somewhere you felt safe, so you could go to school the next day and be a "normal" kid.

   Just remember he is wrong about you.
   You are not your mother. He has absolutely know idea who your mother really is either.
   You are a great kid!

  I don't want to tell you too much....that might change things drastically and spoil it all. Just know this....be nice to others....even the ones who aren't the "cool" kids. You are more like them then you realize.

  There's going to be a day in the cafeteria where you start a food fight.....see, I do know you. Try your best not to hit the little "fat" girl. I know....your a good kid and wouldn't pick on someone because they were fat...but, she doesn't know that. Turns out even though you think she's one of the "cool" kids she really is taking this teenage stuff pretty hard. If it turns out you can't help it and do it anyway it's okay, you'll have an opportunity one day to say your sorry...so, make sure you do....you actually change her life a little because of it.

  Also, the really skinny guy who hangs out with the really big guy .... you know....the ones that stick together because they don't "fit" in. Continue to be nice to them no matter what anyone else says about it.....you have a lot in common with them too.

 Oh, and if you can...spend some more time with PauPau and Dee Dee. They don't live forever...none of us do. Your parents will work things out for themselves with or without you so try to stay out of it and let it go.

  That dream you have of being an artist or an architect.....keep trying. Trust me, just because you don't "get what you want," doesn't mean great things and happiness won't be the end result.

  Never stop trying to find love.....you really do find it in many different forms ....Oh, and try not to smoke. Trust me...smoking IS your worst "mistake".

See you in 44 years and, I LOVE YOU!

 

Let it Snow...

They say Texas is really a whole country in of itself.
I'm not just saying it because I'm a born and breed Texas girl...it's true. All of it!

I googled, "How many countries in the world could fit in Texas?". I didn't get an actual answer to my question. However, it did pop up with the statement that 8.5 Ireland's would fit. There also was mention on several pages that ALL the people in the whole wide world could fit in the great state of Texas.

We are a proud state of people. As I said earlier I was born in Texas. South Texas, to be exact. I was born in the most southern portion of Texas where in the middle of summer you could walk across the river because it's so dry. Where the summers are hot and the winters are just a swift blow bye. I'll just say this. We only knew winter was upon us when I was a kid because of the snow birds pulling their trailers into town. When we would ride our bikes wearing shorts during Christmas break and notice the trailer park was full...we knew it must be winter.

I know it must have been cold at some point of the year when I was a kid. I have a picture of my Paupau holding a snow ball in his bare hand standing in his front yard to prove it. Although he was wearing a short sleeve shirt. I also have the permanent scar on my backside from the gas heater in the hall. I used to ride my tricycle in my grandparents house when I was three....yes, I know "spoiled" ....just a bit. I paid the price though. As I was saying, I have a scar on my backside.

I also don't remember it being too hot either. Sure it was 100+ on a gorgeous summer day but we didn't seem to need the air condition much back then. We didn't even have an air condition until I was in Junior High. That's right America....we didn't have air condition and didn't even know it!

I remember standing up in class every morning and starting our day each and everyone of us reciting the pledge of allegiance in unison, the entire school while one of our lucky school mates led us over the intercom. It didn't matter if it was zero or 120 degrees outside. If your name was picked to lead the pledge you were on cloud nine! I don't know of one single student in my generation of education that ever whimped out and said I can't go lead the pledge today because its too cold or too hot outside and the office is so far on the other side of the campus! I bet they would today IF they said the pledge that is.

I remember as the last days of sixth grade came to an end being so excited about the next school year and moving onto Junior High. One of the special things about it was some of the classes had air conditioning. It was the Big Time! Turned out very few classes had air conditioning. The band room did and the gym did. I don't remember any other classes where we didn't have the windows open and fans blowing almost daily....those were the days.

These days kids get sent home if the air condition doesn't work for more than an hour at school. They simply call it off and declare it a crisis! Pathetic...Even more pathetic are the "adults"who act like the world is going to end just because of a little ice or snow....geesh! Whatever happened to common sense? I guess that got replaced by air conditioning too.

I think it may actually be the core of some of the rotten apples today. That's right I said air condition may be the cause of lost manners, bad attitudes, selfishness and ......don't even get me started.

Maybe, if everyone still had to tough it out together totally oblivious to the amazing technology of comfort called air condition, who knows....? Maybe, we would be talking more about the amazing new generation of kids growing up to be thinkers, explorers and creators of things we've only dreamed. Instead we have the X-generation and a whole generation of kids who believe it's "cool" to where their pants so low their own parents are ashamed to acknowledge them in public. At least I would be. Then we have the it's "hot" to wear ridiculously expensive shoes at the age of six and I'm such a proud parent. Good Grief!

I told you...don't get me started.

Honestly though.....wasn't it better when it didn't matter if it was 100+ or if it was 20 degrees outside. WE reveled in the great unknown and spent endless hours playing make believe and discovering who we wanted to be. WE went to school to learn and couldn't wait our turn to be the future leaders of this great state of Texas and the world! ......So, let is snow!