Dear Pixel, age 10,

Hello. It’s me. Now you say it.

I have some wisdom to impart unto you and I hope you are less like me than I was when I was you. I hope you decide to listen to me because it’s important, damn it, and will be important to you later.

• Screw grades. Learning the material from the class is far more important than learning the teacher’s preferences or earning the teacher’s approval.
• People trump positions and grades. Don’t be shy. Get to know everyone in your classes. Introduce yourself to all of your friends’ friends. You never know who or what you’re missing out on.
• Being well known is not the same as being well liked. And that is not necessarily a bad thing.
• Never take a class or commit yourself to jobs and locations because of a girl. If you’re not sure of your reasons, imagine the girl vanished from the face of the Earth next week. Would you still commit?
• You will not remain friends with anyone you talk to now in ten years. Hell, you won’t be friends with them in ONE year. So don’t change your life or do anything stupid because of them.
• You’re smarter than your elders, but that doesn’t mean you can discount what they say, because if you do, you’re being as close-minded as you accuse others of being.
• Don’t purposely weird out or annoy anyone. The amusement is transient, but the effect is enduring.
• Avoid people who change you for the worse. If you must be alone, so be it. Just have fun and hang out.
• Don’t take stupid classes. They waste time.
• Don’t lie.
• Don’t cheat.
• Don’t steal.
• Okay, steal and lie, but only if it’s funny.
• A joke that nobody else gets is not a joke at all. If you eliminate the writer and leave the writing, does it still have a good effect?
• You are funny. Please realize this soon and find a way to share that will last more than just ephemeral jokes.
• Get a diary. Write about your life. If you want, you can write to me.
• The questions are more important than the answers.
• Question everything. Don’t avoid an argument just because you think you already know how you’ll react. Don’t avoid arguments that make you think.
• Join sports. It’s better to make a fool of yourself and try than not to try at all.
• You don’t believe that last part, but please, just trust me. Play soccer during lunch or something. Please.
• Join band. Learn an instrument and learn to read music. If you have to get out of gifted, or computers, or art, or whatever, then so be it. Just learn some instruments.
• Practice drawing. You will soon become a better drawer than your brother if you just practice.
• If in doubt, think ahead.
• The next few years are going to be a bit difficult, but trust me, you have the best years of your life to look forward to after that.

I’ll write some more when I think of it. Expect it in a year or so. You can write back to me via futureme.org or a time capsule.

Warmest regards,

– Pixelation Qyw Styx, age 22, ©2007

p.s. Oh, and try to come up with a different nickname. Yeah, going ten years as ‘Pixel’ gets real tiring really fast.

p.p.s. I’d tell you what I’m doing so that you could know what to look forward to, but I don’t want to depress you. Hopefully, you can change that. The opportunities are limitless.

Hello. It’s me. Now you say it. I have some wisdom to impart unto you and I hope you are less like me than I was when I was you. I hope you decide to listen to me because it’s important, damn it, and will be important to you later. Screw grades. Learning the material…