As we get older, it’s pretty common to wonder what we could’ve done differently… what we could’ve avoided and what chances we should’ve taken. I’m more than sure we’ve all had that “I wish I would’ve said this” moment or “I should’ve never gone to that” feeling. Life is full of many “oops” moments and I think that as long as we recognize those and try to grow from them, then things should turn out pretty okay.
Last month on our Things I’d Probably Never Say Out Loud wall, we chose the topic of “something I’d tell my younger self.” Although we’ve only had three topics so far, I’d say this was probably my favorite because it really got me thinking about my environment and myself. I wanted to write something meaningful for myself as a reminder that I’m here today regardless of how difficult life got, and because of that, I really got to think about this one.
But it wasn’t all sad vibes. This topic also reminded me of funny and embarrassing moments I wish I could’ve changed. You know how the emo/scene kids’ favorite phrase was “it’s not a phase, mom”? Well, one of my first thoughts was to write something about how I was right, and maybe it wasn’t entirely a phase after all. Or to write how maybe I shouldn’t have been wearing a checkered tie with a band tee, skirt, and long and colorful socks back in middle school.
From the responses, I could tell people probably had a similar thought process to mine. I loved seeing the range from vulnerability, to funny, to positivity. It reminded me how we’re all strangers yet so much alike. It reminded me of community.
One topic that had a few similar responses was that of faith. One person wrote “enjoy each day and keep the faith” while another wrote “give Jesus a chance.” I know not everyone shares a similar belief system, but it was nice to read how these varied while sending a similar message. It made me wonder what these people went through and how they’re doing now to get to where they can acknowledge that faith has brought them to a better place.
Another popular (and slightly funny) topic was cryptocurrency. I couldn’t help but laugh a little at these because of how popular cryptocurrency has become lately. It feels like almost every day it’s trending on Twitter (and I hear about it every day from my fiance too, lol), so seeing people write about this was entertaining and brought some lightheartedness to the question.
We only had two of these this time, but I really enjoy when people respond to others' comments. It shows relatability and that people are taking the time to read each other’s responses.
My favorite was when someone wrote “don’t marry him” and someone responded with “marry HER instead!” I’ll never be entirely sure of the context behind either comment, but it’s nice to see how comfortable people are with vulnerable aspects of their lives.
Another big topic was positive and random notes. When we were first considering putting this subject up, I was worried it would be too personal and get sad real quick. I was glad when that wasn’t the case and was happy to see people had lighter wishes and wants for their past selves.
I know we had many different responses, but my favorite category was the “you don’t need…” comments. These notes showed me signs of self-love and finding inner peace. I loved how open people were with these even though they were just short snippets of whatever it is they went through to now knowing these are the things they valued.
One of my faves was “you don’t need that extra shot in your marg” with a little drawing of a martini glass. I think we enjoyed this one so much because it was so straightforward, funny, and completely relatable!
Another person wrote “You don’t need to have it all figured out! Wander!!” I think this one spoke to me because everyone has those feelings of needing to be all “put together” by a certain age when in reality, there’s no specific time frame that measures success.
I also really enjoyed these responses because it shows how at one point in our lives, we really thought we needed certain things that probably no longer have much value to us anymore. They showed growth and change and I think both those things are always good for us.
We also had a few notes that almost seemed like self-reminders. These also resonated with me because it was like people had become aware of these ideas and were reminding themselves of them in order to keep on that path. They also showed depth and self-reflection and I think that’s powerful of people to get to that point of realization of what’s needed for themselves to be happy.
I think I also related to these because it made me wonder what their stories were and helped as a reminder to myself to stay positive, too.
Although some wants and wishes for our younger selves may seem bigger than others, it’s important to remember that whatever it is you wish for your younger self, is equally as important as anyone else’s desires. If anything, I hope at least reading some of the notes helped you realize something you weren’t aware of yourself.
Life gets tough, but we can also get through those hard times. Like one person said, “you have no idea what’s in store.” Even though this can be interpreted in many different ways, I think most of us can agree that we’ll never know what life will bring us, whether that’s positive or negative.
There’s something poetic about not knowing what lies ahead. I know the future is unpredictable, but we shouldn’t dwell on wondering what if and should instead focus on becoming the most awesome version of ourselves in order to tackle whatever’s coming our way.
We had so many responses and we were so happy to have our wonderful customers feel involved! We love being able to relate to y’all and are glad we can share this wall with anyone who wishes to participate. Even if you chose not to write anything, I hope simply reading some of the notes brought you some joy and comfort in knowing you’re not alone. We hope this experience brought you laughter, a moment of happiness, a sudden urge to self-evaluate (for the better), or any feeling that may have helped you in any sort of way.
Written by Cristina Medina
