September 14th, 2007 
Letter to Self
I was required to write this for my health class, but I put a lot of time into it. It's a letter to myself that I will read when I graduate from high school. It's more of a diary entry than a letter, and the topics are quite random because they are chosen from a varied list.
I'm posting this because I'm interested to see what comments I receive from random people I don't know on a paper in which I basically opened up my whole life.
Quote:
I am 16-years-old. I am about six feet tall and I weight about 145 pounds. My hair is short and brown. I’m not sure if I’m good looking or not.I think I have a fairly quiet personality. I try to be friendly and respectful to everyone. I hope others see me as friendly too. I think it depends on what it is; some people have a tendency to judge others right away, so I’m not sure what everyone thinks. One general aspect that I think most people can agree with is that I’m somewhat shy. This too can change, however, because I am much more open with people I respect and trust.
All of my close friends are incredibly nice because I don’t enjoy being with negative people. I don’t really have a best friend; I like each person for different reasons. One unique person is [removed name]. She’s very intelligent and political, and she can often be an interesting person to talk to. I haven’t met anyone else with the kind of passion she has. Unfortunately, she is closed-minded, antagonistic, and sometimes just a ***** too much of the time for me to consider her a best friend. I would really like meet up with her when we’re in college and she has had time to mature.
[removed name] is a girl that I would really like to have a better relationship with. She’s incredibly attractive, funny, and charming. The main issue is that she gives the impression that she doesn’t truly care about what I have to say. Too often talking in the hall I feel like she isn’t listening, but looking for someone else to talk to who is more interesting. I can’t bring myself to lie to her or try to impress her with a fake personality, because I think it’s necessary for a girlfriend to like me without me bullshitting her.
My friends don’t have a huge influence in my decision making. I try to think for myself as much as I can and the advice of a fellow 16-year-old is usually too short-sighted to trust. It’s very cynical, but from my experience it is usually true.
In my spare time, I like to go on the computer. Sometimes I do programming for websites, and other times I read or play World of Warcraft. My 3v3 team is at 2226 rating and I’m quite proud of it. (Hopefully I can get Gladiator for season two). I also enjoy listening to music. Some of my favorite bands are the Beastie Boys, Dinosaur Jr., Fugazi, My Bloody Valentine, Pixies, Public Enemy, The Replacements, Sonic Youth, and A Tribe Called Quest. Loveless by My Bloody Valentine is probably my favorite album of all time. My favorite songs change often, but right now I am often listening to “Waiting Room” from Fugazi’s album 13 Songs. The guitar riff on this track is addictive.
My favorite TV shows are Futurama, The Office, and Penn & Teller: Bullshit!. Futurama is a smarter version of Family Guy with better story-writing. The Office is an incredibly funny sitcom with lots of dry humor. Watching it for the first time was the first time I really liked Steve Carell. Finally, Penn & Teller: Bullshit! is a libertarian documentary series that covers current political issues. Penn Jillette is someone I really admire for his honesty, intelligence, and humor. My favorite movie right now would be Annie Hall, which I watched after a recommendation by my dad. It’s a very funny movie, and one of the best aspects of it is that it toys with common “laws” of filmmaking, giving the feeling that there is always something strange going to happen.
In the next three years I would like to graduate from high school and get admitted into a college that I am satisfied with, and I would also like to have a firm career choice. I’m really not sure what job I want to take right now. Music is so incredibly interesting and fun to me, yet it is not practical in a financial sense and I have always enjoyed working on the computer.
The two qualities I like best about myself are my natural intelligence and my understanding of others’ feelings. I have always been lucky to do well and figure my way around most tasks, and it’s comforting to know that I have a lot of potential as a human being. As for others’ feelings, I always try to view things from another person’s perspective, and I think I’m simply accustomed to it because I feel that I’m more mature than most people my age. I believe the world would be much more positive if everyone adopted this kind of thought.
Two things I think I could improve upon are my work ethic and my risk taking. I have always been a lazy person, especially in areas of school. I’m getting into better habits this year, and I think after being used to a real homework and study schedule I will find it easier to get things done. I want to improve my risk taking because I often choose the safer but less rewarding decisions. I also believe it’s necessary for me to take risks in order to be comfortable and have a girlfriend.
I have the same views on all mind altering substances like tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana: they have more negative effects than positive, and they aren’t necessary for one to have fun. I don’t plan on doing any drugs, including alcohol. The social environment they create is something I don’t like taking part in. I’m not ignorant to believe that my life would be ruined if I smoked marijuana or drank alcohol, but I don’t think that it would be improved. It is incredibly stupid for the government to lock people up for doing these things, however. It’s their choice and as long as they aren’t harming anyone else they have every right to use drugs.
I am not a supporter of sexual abstinence. Sex is part of being a human, and unlike drugs it has overwhelmingly positive benefits for your physical and emotional health as long as you are emotionally stable. Growing up with two infant brothers is more than enough persuasion for me to avoid getting a girl pregnant at all costs. If I’m with a girl that I truly like, and we both want to have sex, then we will. Waiting until marriage is a religious ideal that sidesteps the real issue: people having sex when they are not mature enough to do so. That is an individual issue, and it’s up to the couple to decide if they want to wait or not. The preaching of abstinence can also cast a shadow upon important issues like condom usage.
My dad has had the most influence on my life, because I think our minds are very similar. He is a very rational and honest person, and those are two values that I highly respect. There are times when I disagree with him, but generally he is on point and helpful.
One change I could make to improve the quality of my present life or health would be to get a girlfriend. It bugs me to not have self confidence in that aspect, and I think if I found someone I really liked it would make me very happy.
Last edited by Rad, September 14th, 2007 02:08 AM (Edited 1 times)
