Being left in the dorm. What I would tell myself.
Thirty-one years.
Is that possible?
Thirty-one years since my father said good-bye to me on a rainy, gray morning in Dallas, Texas. I turned and walked into the empty dormitory. Got to my room, curled up on my mattress and slept till my roommate arrived.
There I was…curled up on my little twin bed.
What would I say to that 18-year-old girl curled up on the bed?
* Stick with the salad bars. Okay, don’t think I gained the full freshman 10 but I came close.
* Be friendly. Talk with people. Everyone is raging with insecurities too. Sure there is the occasional mean jelly bean but most of the people you meet in college and life are truly wonderful.
* People are different. There are extroverts and introverts and you fall somewhere in between. Be comfortable in the fact that you don’t need to be the life of the party. You are by nature an observer and thinker and that is why you will one day discover the need to pour things onto a blank page.
* You don’t have to be crazy in chemistry love with someone to go on a date with them. Have fun and go on dates with all those nice guys that ask you. When the time is right you will find the one. Until then — go out and have a good time.
* DON’T THINK SO MUCH. Except of course on exams. And think when you study for them.
* Study for exams. Well, more than the half hour before.
* Things just work out. Don’t worry. Each day is to be celebrated whether you are learning a tough lesson or lying in the sun.
* Build a huge bridge and get over yourself. The sooner you discover it really isn’t all about you, the happier you will be in life.
* Have fun. You’ll blink and 31 years will have passed and you’ll be sitting at keyboard writing this thing called a blog post — Sounding way too much like an old lady.
What would you tell your teenage self?
Linking up with Mama Kat: 1.) If I could tell my teenage self… (inspired by Le Musings of Moi)
Loved this!
It’s funny, when I thought about writing this for this prompt, I was going to say “It’s not all about you,” but I forgot when I actually sat down at the keyboard.
You said it better anyway.
Don’t you wish we could have benefited then from our wisdom now? Great points, all. But I’m amazed you only had the freshman 10. At my college it was the freshman 20 😉
I really wish that I had known and been able to have faith in the fact that everything always works out. Because it really does, doesn’t it?
Oh my gosh, I wish someone had told me all this when I left for college too! But I guess it’s hard to tell an 18 year old know-it-all!
Sometimes I wonder what it would have been like to go to college just out of high school. I didn’t start my college career until I was in my early thirties…. single with five kiddos in tow. It was one of the best experiences of my life! I completed both a B.S. and a M.S., met many wonderful people and became friends with old and young alike. I remember a Nutrition Science Professor that completely intimidated me. After I graduated and got my first job as an Extension Agent, I got reaquainted with this Professor again in a totally different way. Another new Extension Agent and myself had met her at the University and went to lunch. I was a little nervous. During our conversation, I proceeded to address her as Dr. Bren…. She smiled at me and stopped me in my sentence, and said… Carol, you can call me Cha…… now. We are colleagues. All I could think of was… wow! What I would say to my teenage self… respect, confidence and persistence in doing your best can take you to places you never thought possible. DREAM BIG!
I can think of a few others, for ME, at least – like “go to class.” Even a class in an auditorium with 300 people – you always make better grades if you simply go to class!
-Trish
Trish. The not going-to-class-itis didn’t hit me till 2nd semester junior year. That was the report card I hit from my parents.
* Build a huge bridge and get over yourself. The sooner you discover it really isn’t all about you, the happier you will be in life.*
LOVE this my friend. I think you just created an awesome bumper sticker!!!
I agree that is it the key Jill. It’s just living it every day is the challenge. hug to you
My friends woke me at 1:00 a.m. the first night I was in the dorm. I had been going to bed before dark and getting up to work at the donut shop at six all summer. They’d been staying up all night and sleeping til afternoon.
My teenaged self wouldn’t listen, no matter what I said. She would continue to fly under the radar. Like. A. Boss.
Wonderful post. Some things I wish I would have taken to heart… but then hindsight is always 20/20 isn’t it!
I would like to get a copy of this for my teen=aged self! Such truth and wisdom.
My favorite…..build a big bride and get over yourself! Love it. Need to have this printed on little cards to hand out as needed!