Letter to my future self

I’ve been listening to a lot of John Cougar Mellencamp lately. In jr. high school he was one of my all-time favorites and so the memories are flooding back… Seems like just yesterday, but it was over four decades ago when I was sitting on a school bus listening to Jack and Diane on my walkman. And all this reminiscing about my youth has given me the inspiration to write a letter to my future self.

Dear Jeannie,
Try to slow down and appreciate the little things along this amazingly crazy journey we call life. Go for more gratitude, less anxiety. I can only assume you are still running around, terribly busy, and for what? Just so you can buy more Little House on the Prairie dresses? Please tell me that by now, the fad of pioneer-woman-tiny-floral pattern covering neck to wrist to ankle and billowing with heavy, bunchy fabric like Aunt Dot’s drapes has passed. Ugh, I am not a fan of this old-fashioned garb. If fashions must cycle back, let’s see some faded Guess jeans with zippers at the ankles and high-top Reebok sneakers!
That’s what I was wearing while listening to Little Pink Houses, when life seemed endless. I can vividly remember sitting at my desk in school, looking up at the large industrial clock on the wall which actually appeared to tick back one second before continuing on its usual, mind-numbingly slow passage. As they say, “the days may drag on, but the years fly by.”
Jeannie, now that you are in the second semester of your life, it’s time to steer clear of anything/one who tries to suck up your time with negativity and doubt. I’m not saying don’t help out, but time becomes more valuable when there is less of it, and as John says, “…there’s less days in front of the horse than riding in the back of this cart.”
I have the feeling that death will come suddenly (at the very end.) It’ll be like when you’re on the phone with someone and you’re both saying your goodbyes and then you think of one last thing you want to say— but they’ve already hung up. That’s what I think death is like, but who knows? The beauty of the whole thing is that no one here knows, and we have that in common with everyone who has ever lived.
As far as I can tell, humans have always concentrated more on our differences than our similarities. Maybe because we all have the innate desire to be noticed and appreciated; to stand out in a crowd. That’s natural, but when it turns into an Us and Them situation, pretty soon it leads to war and strife. I wonder, does it amplify with age? Or is it all our exposure to shareholders who capitalize on conflict? Fear, lust, greed; the lower chakras are big money makers.
I recently saw a talk show with David Hogg, and I was impressed with how calm, cool, and collected he was for his age. (Jeannie, in case you’ve forgotten watching the interview, David was a student in the Parkland shooting who works as a gun control activist. Just for the record, I’m doing my best to stave off the dementia.) David’s on a mission to kill the big money that we, as a society, are unable— unwilling? to stop from killing our kids. He’s inspiring to watch, as the younger generations keep fighting to bring about the change they want to see in this world.
Whatever happens, don’t give up.

Sincerely,
Younger version of yourself

p.s. It looks like the powers that be are giving the go-ahead to a full access four-way intersection at Dolores and Hwy 133, so slow down and be careful. There is a two-story restaurant going up across the highway and when everyone is turning left to go home to RVR after dinner (in the dark winter months) it will be chaos and collisions with all the traffic turning onto Dolores. Relax, put on some John Cougar Mellencamp, and take your time getting home so that you don’t end up a needless casualty thanks to the indifference of the Town of Carbondale and CDOT.