To my 27 year old self

4/26/11

Dear future self,

Hey. How are you? Well, I hope? I certainly hope you aren't dead. Actually, there are a lot of things I hope for you. I'll make a list of some important ones.

1. I hope you're still a Nerdfighter. That is, even if you don't call yourself one anymore, I hope you're still dedicated to decreasing World suck. You've got a lot of knowledge and tools that I don't, so use 'em wisely. 

2. I hope you're still in touch with your brother. He's a great guy. You should probably call him up as soon as you're done reading this and remind him how much you love him, even if it still annoys him. Also, I really hope you didn't sell him your first car for under $2,000. I need that money for college! Speaking of which...

3. I hope your time at Westmont was amazing. I just sent in my admission confirmation and housing deposit last week, so, as you can probably imagine (and/or remember), I'm starting to get majorly excited here. It had better have lived up to all these expectations! Just sayin'. 

4. I hope you're still making music. I hope you keep on making it for the rest of your life, even when it can be stressful (like right now, for instance, as I'm preparing for my senior recital... I hope that went well, by the way).

5. I hope you've at least started to unravel that vast mystery that is dressing fashionably. ....'Nuff said.

6. I hope you don't look back on the Dr. Who/Harry Potter/Narnia obsessed kid I am now and think, "I was such a nerd!" Unless you mean it in a positive sense, in which case: yeah, I am. And I hope you still are, too.

7. I hope... I hope... (I decided to go to 10, but I'm running out of ideas here...) I hope.... I hope you're still in touch with your high school friends. Specifically, the Owlings (your writing club), and your new friends on the Nerd Blog (nerdleague.blogspot.com, in case you've forgotten). Best case scenario, you're all still writing the blog; after all, this very letter is a project for it.

8. I hope you don't have a cat. I hope you've learned your lesson that you will never look good in concert black until there are no more furry animals in your house.

9. I hope your handwriting is better. But, y'know, if not, it's not that big a deal. I mean, this is okay, right?

10. I hope you finished one of your novels, or finally wrote enough poetry to make a proper collection. At the very least, I hope you haven't stopped writing for fun. It's fun, remember?

11. (One more, for good measure.) I hope you're still hoping. And wishing, and dreaming, and loving, and doing-- and all that sappy good stuff you're supposed to do when you're young. Just as long as you haven't turned all hopeless and cynical, I'm happy.

Finally, and most importantly, I have just one thing to say: DFTBA. It's what all of this boils down to. Seriously.

Sincerely, and DFTBA,

17-year-old Emily

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I did actually write this all down on paper and put it in an envelope, and then wrote instructions that it's not supposed to be opened until exactly 10 years from now. Proof: