What a great idea to write a letter to your teenage self! I have my students write a letter to incoming 4th graders, giving them some advice about being a 5th grader. I never thought about writing a letter to myself as a teenager.
Yeah, I've seen other people do letters to their younger selves. The idea just popped into my head yesterday during a walk (where all good ideas come from). I thought how disappointed teenage-me would be in so many things, but how wrong she would be in a lot of ways. In other words, the things I wanted from life weren't the things I actually needed. They weren't the things that would actually bring me happiness.
Thanks, Teri. I had a little black and white TV in my bedroom on which I was allowed to stay up late enough to watch The Tonight Show, right after the local news and commentary by, get this, Jerry Springer, who was a local news anchor in Cincinnati after having been the mayor. What a childhood!
Robyn, this is amazing. Wonderful and funny and revelatory and vulnerable all at once. I laughed out loud more than once. And I also went back and read it more than once. Thank you.
Thanks so much, David. It was super fun to write and one of those things I should go back and read myself when I’m feeling blue. A reminder to be thankful for the life that my teenage self didn’t want!
This was a terrific way to learn more about you. I admire teenage Robyn and Now-Robyn immensely. It's got me thinking about what I would say to my own teenage self ...
Thank, Betsy. I highly recommend it. It was a very satisfying exercise, to think about that younger version of myself with compassion and bemusement. The bangs alone! And I was so invested in making them stick up as far as possible. It was the height of accomplishment for all the young women at my high school.
I guess, also, it’s a kind of re-parenting. Taking that teenage version of myself who’s still inside me and telling her it’s all going to be okay.
That’s weird, but not surprising. Other people have said the same and sometimes I don’t get emails from letters I’ve subscribed to and I have no idea why the hell that happens and feel like maybe my life is too short to spend a lot of time figuring it out. But I’m glad you resubscribed!
I hope your fingers are not crossed HOPING for a collapse... I can't tell from the sentence.
No, I am not hoping for a collapse. That’s not a thing I’d like to live through.
Such a wonderful letter to your young self. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks!
Such a touching letter x
Thanks, Kaspa!
What a great idea to write a letter to your teenage self! I have my students write a letter to incoming 4th graders, giving them some advice about being a 5th grader. I never thought about writing a letter to myself as a teenager.
Yeah, I've seen other people do letters to their younger selves. The idea just popped into my head yesterday during a walk (where all good ideas come from). I thought how disappointed teenage-me would be in so many things, but how wrong she would be in a lot of ways. In other words, the things I wanted from life weren't the things I actually needed. They weren't the things that would actually bring me happiness.
I love the way you executed this idea! I always wanted to be interviewed by Johnny Carson, too. I cried while watching his last show.
Thanks, Teri. I had a little black and white TV in my bedroom on which I was allowed to stay up late enough to watch The Tonight Show, right after the local news and commentary by, get this, Jerry Springer, who was a local news anchor in Cincinnati after having been the mayor. What a childhood!
I had a pretty nice color tv in my bedroom; my mother liked me not messing up the living room and I could watch tv in my room that way. I shed skin.
I wasn’t supposed to stay up late (Carson started at 11:30pm), so I would watch it with the sound turned down to where I could barely hear it.
Robyn, this is amazing. Wonderful and funny and revelatory and vulnerable all at once. I laughed out loud more than once. And I also went back and read it more than once. Thank you.
Thanks so much, David. It was super fun to write and one of those things I should go back and read myself when I’m feeling blue. A reminder to be thankful for the life that my teenage self didn’t want!
This is just so so so good. I love it.
Thanks, Karen!
This was a terrific way to learn more about you. I admire teenage Robyn and Now-Robyn immensely. It's got me thinking about what I would say to my own teenage self ...
Thank, Betsy. I highly recommend it. It was a very satisfying exercise, to think about that younger version of myself with compassion and bemusement. The bangs alone! And I was so invested in making them stick up as far as possible. It was the height of accomplishment for all the young women at my high school.
I guess, also, it’s a kind of re-parenting. Taking that teenage version of myself who’s still inside me and telling her it’s all going to be okay.
I loved this, Robyn!!
Thanks, Don.
You're brave.
Thanks, Sandy.
LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS!
Thanks, Barb!
Also, in case you wonder, I stopped getting your Substack emails so resubscribed.
That’s weird, but not surprising. Other people have said the same and sometimes I don’t get emails from letters I’ve subscribed to and I have no idea why the hell that happens and feel like maybe my life is too short to spend a lot of time figuring it out. But I’m glad you resubscribed!
A Letter to Teenage Ann could be summed up in the verbiage written on a button, I sometimes wear, but is usually stuck on my refrigerator door….
It reads:
“I Have Survived Damn Near Every thing.”
I really enjoyed riding along with Teenage Robyn!
You have survived damn near everything and you're still a beautiful, sparkling human being!
awww, gawrrshhh, Thanx Robyn….☺️