I thought the whole thing was good, but I had to pick something 16 year old me might do.
You wont have to drive mom’s dark brown 1978 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Brougham forever. Oh, and get into computers - there is a wave of opportunity about to happen.
I was 16 in the early 80s.
I had ulcers you see. And in those days medical science was still in denial about the causative nature of H. Pylori. If you had ulcers they told you you were too tense, and needed to stop worrying so much. They gave you lots of pain pills patted you on the head, and sent you to counseling.
It’s a really evil, corrosive thing that Doctors still often do when they don’t know what is causing a physical problem. Rather than say “I don’t know” they say (in a nicer way) “You’re crazy.”
^^^^ My future self sent me a message from 2017, and all it was was this lousy T-shirt.
Run away from home.
Become an actuary. Relax. Get laid. Don’t put up with dad’s contempt. Invest in Apple, Microsoft, Google.
I don’t think any general advise would be worthwhile. You can pre-learn lessons.
Go into IT instead of engineering. 2008 will suck for everybody, not just you.
“Get a Science Degree, Stop doing drugs, read Forbes, get a car as fast as you can”
That would completely give me a big head start, I would be 29 with an excellent career and not still doing school, and have a lot more money.
Quit smoking. Today! And eat less sugar. Or face a heart attack at 28. Discover abstract math. You will love it.
Buy Apple and Google Stock.
When the giant spiders arrive, stay away from dark places.
You’re not fat & if you go on thinking you are, eventually you will be. Don’t become friends with Nicole W. Run from her.
Don’t let Dad ride the 175. Marry Hutch. Buy Microsoft and Apple.
Guys, guys, I just realized I did get most of that message, maybe not from the future or from me, but it came in a dream when I was in college. It told me not to marry x, and to take up Aikido, I wrote it down, but married x anyway, and only took up Aikido ten years later.
So, I will revise the tweet to my 16-year -old self to “Pay attention to significant dreams, don’t marry X, take up Aikido in college. You are better than you think. Write.” And hope that the dream reinforces the earlier message.
Though maybe I was so stubborn that I’d need a third message from the future.
Stay in school for MS. Write that novel. Forget all HS girls. At MSU, Sharon = Friend Zone, Betsy is attainable. Buy your 5 years early.
You really are pretty. Your friends are assholes, nicer ones exist. Bad boys are a waste of time. Go to U of T and try to get good marks.
Most of the messages in this thread might as well be written on fortune cookies for all the relevance they will have to a bunch of 16 year olds.
My 16-year-old self ignored all advice, regardless of the source. He certainly wouldn’t have made an exception for some bitter old geezer from the future.
Don’t dump Michael. Don’t be a doctor, you won’t like it.