Friday, July 15, 2011

A few notes to my teen self...

I've been reading lots of really good YA books right now. And I have a teen beta who you all will be meeting on Friday, July 29th in my new blog feature "Christa Talks to the Teen" (I know, very original). I thought it might be helpful for YA writers to ask questions to a teen reader so I asked Aliya to help and she's all in. (Side note: she writes great reviews for teen books so if you're interested, you should follow her).

In the meantime, I've been thinking about some things I would say to my teen self if I came across her today and I thought it would be fun to share:

1. "Hey Christa, that guy you're with. Not the right guy. The nice guy who actually likes you is much better."

I believe we've all had that conversation with our teen selves. Mine is particularly painful because I've sadly had to interact with the "wrong choice" ex-boyfriend in the kids' school car pool line 17 years after we broke up. And yes, before you ask, I was holding my carpool #69 up at the time. So humiliating. He's still not the right guy. Trust me.

2. "Hey Christa, you'll regret wearing those shoes to prom one day."

It did seem like a good idea at the time.

3. "Hey Christa, stop taking yourself so seriously. Laugh more and eat more."

I think these words of wisdom still hold today. I was a dark and broody teen (I know, you're shocked). It would have been nice to have spent more time outside than in my room reading The Bell Jar. Really, I don't think anyone needs to read that book more than twice although I still love the poetry of Sylvia Plath.

4. "Hey Christa, you talk too much when you drink. And it always ends badly."

Um, I might need to be reminded of this on a weekly basis. Just saying.  


And finally, because I am watching my daughter on the cusp of tweendom, I offer advice to my tween self....

5. "Hey Tween Christa, it may seem like a demotion to be made the Bulldog mascot after that one disastrous pom pom routine where you knocked the entire squad over like a row of dominos, but really, mascots have more fun."



I'd love to hear what you all would say to your teen or tween selves. 


8 comments:

Miranda Hardy said...

Oh, the list is too long. First would be to stay away from boys all together!

Mandie Baxter said...

I love your teen self questions. I would have asked many the same.

KatOwens: Insect Collector said...

All of these are making me LOL!

you are so right, and as for #4... I think I still need to hear that one. :)

Alexis Bass said...

Haha! This is fantastic. I don't know what I would say to my teen self. She was very self-involved. I doubt she would listen to me anyway. :)

Looking forward to the new teen talk segment!!

Rachel Searles said...

Yeah, number 4 all the way. Teen me, attention from a cute boy is not the be-all and end-all. Oh, and don't stop writing for the next decade.

Tara Tyler said...

the sad thing is, now that we are adults, our teen selves prob wouldn't listen anyway. besides, it's my college self that needed talking to...less boys, more friends

A.L. Sonnichsen said...

Oh great advice! I'd say something like your #3 to myself. STOP TAKING YOURSELF SO SERIOUSLY. Ugh, I was so self-conscious it was ridiculous.

I kind of wish my husband hadn't dated at all in high school because now we live in his home town and every other friend I make either is an ex-girlfriend of his or someone who had a huge crush on him. It's just weird. Oh well, at least he's all mine now. :)

Amy

AliyaPM said...

*chuckles* Love it. And, yeah, we all take ourselves too seriously.
Wonder what the older me would have to say to the current me.

Woot! Looking forward to the last Friday of the month!