Comments on: A letter to me

By: aj@lecraic

aj@lecraic — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 22:17:30 +0000

Do! I’ll look forward to reading yours.

By: K8

K8 — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 21:13:20 +0000

Jeez, I was talking to my 13 year old self even just reading this! I’m gonna give it a whack. Things might get messy.

By: Rosie

Rosie — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 22:29:38 +0000

the Major posted just such a letter on his blog a while ago, and prompted me to write the reverse - a letter to the older me. she hasn't written back.

By: aj@lecraic

aj@lecraic — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 18:00:16 +0000

Sounds good Darren, would love to have your input.

By: Darren

Darren — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 14:29:40 +0000

This is a really great idea.

About three years ago, I found a letter my younger self had written to his older self (confused yet?). I wrote it when I was 16 and read it at 24 and the most significant thing about it was how sad I sounded, but also how hopeful I was that one day my life would be good.

I’ll try write one in response to my younger self and I’ll email it on to you for inclusion.

By: Paul Groves

Paul Groves — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 18:58:32 +0000

That’s fair enough, that is.
I guess I’m worried that scribbling such stuff down would make me start thinking: “Now, why didn’t I do that/this/the other/her” *
It could be a bit of a pandora’s box.
Or, of course, I’m just talking out of my backside again

(* delete as appropriate)

By: aj@lecraic

aj@lecraic — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 12:06:36 +0000

@Paul : I hear you and I don’t waste my time on coulda shoulda woulda. It’s a writing project and gets the brain thinking ‘what if’. I don’t necessarily WANT to change anything, but I found it a useful exercise anyway. I’m not a quivering mass of jelly who is sitting here wasting away his life on regrets, despite what you may have read into my letter

@Grannymar, Don’t worry about the confusing me, us, you – it’s best if you don’t even think about that or it will get in the way of what you want to say.

By: Grannymar

Grannymar — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 10:51:08 +0000

Great idea, though not sure how I’d get on with it. I might start the letter to me but become confused and end up writing to my daughter! She gets enough of that in real life.

Who knows I might try it some day, if I do I’ll likn to you.

By: Paul Groves

Paul Groves — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 08:49:25 +0000

It is an interesting concept. I enjoyed reading your letter and it would be interesting to read others.
But I don’t feel comfortable with it.

As I’m about to turn 40 I’ve indulged in a bit of reflection and I’ve blogged on the list of “40 Things To Do Before I Die” I have compiled – although there’s only 33 on the list at the moment, I reserve the right to add more as and when they pop into my middle-aged brain.
In amongst the various things – learning to fly; being a mascot at a Welsh rugby international; travelling more once my wife’s health improves; busking; building a house for us; and so on – the two most important items on the list are:
* love and be loved;
* don’t have regrets.
I’ve always believed that life’s too short to have regrets. Why waste time on the “would’ve, could’ve, should’ve” stuff, just get on with it instead.
So if I do nothing on my 40th list, other than love and be loved, it really doesn’t matter.

That’s why I’m not sure I could write this sort of letter.
I wouldn’t want to change a thing.