Dear pre-teen Blythe,
I will start off by asking you a simple question. What
are you thinking?! Now, I hope that does not strike you as too harsh, but I
feel that I must implement tough love and take drastic measures in handling
this very awkward phase. Where do I
even begin? Well, let us start at the top. Your hair. Eleven year-old Blythe,
that has to go, you look like a boy. I promise that everything will turn out
alright if you stray from the china doll, pin straight hair complete with bangs
(Foreshadowed Warning: DO NOT go back to them in eighth grade, they will not
look any better in three years, trust me). On the topic of looking like a
male…please for the sake of your dignity stop shopping in the boy department of
Gap and Old Navy, camouflage cargo pants do not look good on anyone. Please
take my warnings to heart as I really do know best and spare yourself future
ridicule from your classmates about “the boy years”, it will scar you. On a
similar note, try and make some more friends to greatly reduce your chance of
receiving harassment and allow for less awkward times trying to find someone to
sit with at lunch. However, do not lose yourself in order to make new friends.
Keep rocking that Lord of the Rings jean jacket (obsession never goes out of
style), keep trying to touch Mr. Dole’s mustache and achieve the impossible
with all of your fingers still intact, pursue your love to read as it could
become your future, remember that Girl Scouts is not lame and never quit as it
earns you some big money in the future, and never stop Being Blythe (hint: make
that the title of your seventh grade scrapbook). In short, little me, you are a
strange young girl. However you will grow into your quirky demeanor and learn
to embrace it. So keep up the good work, keep the hair growing, and keep out of
the boy’s department. See you in seven years.
Love,
Almost eighteen-year-old
Blythe
Although this may shock you, I personally envied your manly younger self. I remember on trips to Hilton Head I attempted to fit in with you and Abby by wearing a t-shirt over my frilly tankini. When you both asked me if I enjoyed "girl stuff," I feverishly denied my inner obsession in order to be one of the guys. You might deny these stories now, but never forget that a seemingly weird phase can be cooler than you really think!
ReplyDeleteBlythe, I laughed aloud reading this; looking back both fondly and with horror at our younger years. If you read my blog you will find I took a similar approach in addressing my younger self. However, I would not change this phase even if I could because I believe our past shapes who we become in the future. Our outcasted years taught us many things: independence, uniqueness, confidence, and as Alyssa makes apparent, people found us intimidating back then. I think we have maintained our edge since then.
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