Suppose the me from 1987 could visit the present-day me here, right now (look, I know it's ridiculous, but bear with me), what would I (the younger I) think as I watched the older me, on all fours, sniffing my bed, trying to figure out if that funny smell was caused by a leaking diaper? What would I think as I watched the older me at the computer, with my toddler perched on my back with her arms wrapped around my throat? What would I think as I listened to this stranger say things such as, "Leave Mommy alone now." "Go to bed." "I've told you not to tease your sister."
Would I be filled with admiration to see this adult me, this person responsible for the lives of 6 young ones, holding and tending to and disciplining the next generation? Or would I be thinking, instead, "Shoot me now...please"?
Yes, I have time to sit around wondering things like this. Don't you?
Larry worked on the kitchen floor again today. Isn't that a surprise? So I had to take the kids out to dinner. (Lunch was easy - they had donuts after the noon Mass at church. And juice. Juice is healthy, right?) Anyway, as we walked into the burger joint this evening, what should be playing on the Muzak but the very words, "I don't want to live like a refugee..." I hear you, Tom. I hear you.
All the music at that place is 80's pop songs; I briefly considered telling Anna, "I used to dance to this music all around the dishroom of my college cafeteria." You know - just to bother her. Because it's true. I was young once, dammit. And what would I think if I could go back and visit that younger self? I'd think, "Keep dancing, baby. Keep dancing."
LOL!! I would love to see what my younger self would think of me now. Probably, "WOW, I got old, and hey, do you want some jelly with them rolls?" That baby fat is a killer to get off!! I love 80's music!! My kids and I crank up the CD player and jam all the time!! Love it!!!
ReplyDeleteI would be surprised and amazed to see myself married and happy, with children, surrounded by people who love me. It would probably give me a great deal of hope.
ReplyDeleteLOL! I'm here listening to '80s music with ya.
ReplyDeleteI don't even want to think about it...my younger me would have been horrified that I became so...conventional. Married. With children.
ReplyDeleteThe shock.
Heidi
I don't even want to think about it...my younger me would have been horrified that I became so...conventional. Married. With children.
ReplyDeleteThe shock.
Heidi
What would be cool is if your 1987 you could meet up with Anna, so she could see you were really young once and used to dance around the college cafeteria dishroom. On the other hand, she'd probably just laugh at your clothes and hair. Just thinking about my 1987 me makes me laugh. My god, that hair! So far I'm lucky because my kids like 80's music and will actually listen to what I still listen to.
ReplyDeleteMy younger self would kick the crap out of my current self and ask "wtf were you thinking marrying this guy AND having kids?!"
ReplyDeleteI dread when my kids become teenagers...GOD HELP ME.
andrea - yeah, the thought crossed my mind that my younger self would be rather appalled at the extra baggage I'm toting around.
ReplyDeletesue - Yeah, but would your younger self appreciate what she saw? I know my teenage daughter doesn't.
bonnie and clyde - next crop, definitely 80's music.
family adventure - yes, I think that is the way it would be with my younger self also. It would all look so boring to me.
theresa - she would be sickened.
I would so be telling myself to forget the parties and go study you idiot! I would rely on fate to get me my Mr. Hot and Shortman, but that dream of being a veterinarian? So not possible with those grades.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that I remember reading that you were going to post everyday for a certain number of days as part of a group thing. Now I can't find it (O.K., I'm too lazy to try very hard). What ever the reason, I would like to say, thank you, thank you, thank you! Laughter everyday is the best thing ever!
ReplyDeleteInteresting post. I remember being about 17 and lecturing my parents about how they spent too much time on the couch. That they needed to live their lives with more passion. I probably don't need to tell you where I spent most of yesterday: on the couch. I now know they were tired...from taking care of kids. Keep dancing, girly.
ReplyDeleteMy younger self would be thinking, "darn it, I swore I'd never grow up to be so much like my mother, but look at me!" LOL
ReplyDeleteI have had that thought many times. My seventeen year old mind could never have imagined all the adventures this life has taken me on. My life is completely different than I ever imagined it. I am not disappointed at all, but sometimes I stop and really think about it and I am surprised. Once I sat on a beach in Hawaii watching tourists go by and I thought “wow. I LIVE here” and once I burst out laughing in Nebraska driving through the corn fields and thought “I LIVE here” Life just keeps surprising me.
ReplyDeleteHa! You know what would have really bothered Anna though, is if you had actually started dancing. Now that would have put her over the edge, don't ya' think?
ReplyDeleteMore importantly, would 39 year old me be able to tell 19 year old me a few things:
ReplyDelete- Transfer to a college you need to live at, not commute.
- That guy, Scott? Who seems like a good idea when you're 21? He is very bad news. Avoid him like the PLAGUE.
I love this idea. I'm going to give it some thought - and also email you an hysterical 80s link I got.
mrs. g - thanks for my laugh for the day - I love that picture. I'm sure my Anna will be giving us the same lecture. And we'll be laughing our a**es off.
ReplyDeletemary alice - that's what I like about living in the military - you end up doing all sorts of things and seeing all sorts of places that you never would have otherwise. And meeting the people! I was raised to think that the only people in the military were blood-thirsty killers (no joke) or crazed commie-haters. I'm so glad I learned otherwise.
madmad - what's scary is I don't think I remember how. I'm sort of missing that youthful exuberance these days.
I'm glad to see I'm not the only one intrigued by this idea.