If I Had Known Then...

Dear High School Self-

Congratulations on all of your honors classes, straight A's and impressive resume. Someday you will be happy that you made so much effort. But I want to give you some advice.

Honors theology is pointless. You will never, ever use any of it, it won't come up in conversation and you will forget most of the topics and books you read. Likewise, honors biology is also pointless because you won't do anything with science in your career. Honors English is a good class. You will eventually write a blog that, like, 5 or 6 people read, and it will be important to be able to put together concise sentences. As for the rest of your classes, it's super great you get straight A's and your teachers think you are so smart. Enjoy it.

Here's the bad news. You know how self righteous you are about your impressive classes? In the long run, the smarter thing would be to drop some of them and take auto shop. Because in your future, trigonometry, chemistry and history won't help you when your car dies on a major interstate. Basic knowledge, besides what color and how to put gas in it would be useful. A+ papers and tests won't do you any good, so stop acting like those things somehow make you a better person. You go on to run a nonprofit camp, not a career in academia, so seriously, learn some practical things- book smarts aren't going to do you any good. And when your car is not just dead on a major interstate freeway, but also an exit ramp, all of the people honking at you and giving you dirty looks really won't care that you were ranked 4th in your class in high school.

Also, on a different note, date more now so that by the time you are 26, you won't be so awkward.

Love,

Future Self (owner of a 1998 chevy cavalier that doesn't have shocks, a heater and randomly dies when you're on the freeway)

...

I wish I had actually got that letter in high school. But I didn't, so I'm learning those things now... The hard way.