If you’re not middle aged, pick a younger age, IDK
“How can you possibly live your life and not care what people think? Impossible!”
It can be done, 19 year old me. ☺️
He’d be disappointed that he doesn’t end up doing anything epic and world-changing, but then he’d immediately be relieved that he’s mostly got shit figured out. Wife, home, job, driving, cooking, all the basic stuff.
Then he’d realize he only thought he needed to do something epic because he couldn’t picture himself having those basic things figured out. This would take him a few minutes to process, so he wouldn’t say anything.
“Thank you for warning. I’m leaving right now to make sure [name removed] is not able to enlist”.
My friend was killed by the United States Army.
“Oh shit I’m a girl?”
Like, you were completely unaware of it at that point, or you just didn’t think it would happen?
I knew something was wrong but I didn’t put the dots together until my early 20s. I’d definitely had “I wanna be a girl” thoughts as a kid/teen but wasn’t super aware that being trans was a thing so shoved them to the back of my brain and allowed myself to just kinda feel broken instead.
“I knew it, when do I get to start hormone therapy?”
“So we’re still a fat fucking loser. Great. Nice cat though.”
Are you in my house?
So I’m 30. At 19 this time of year I was on the verge of accepting that I’m a trans woman (i thought I was nonbinary [yes gender] and never coming out). And yeah today I’m in the process of moving to a blue state with my wife.
19 year old me would mostly be shocked I want to live tbh
damn, maybe I should stop smoking weed and stay in college
You figured out what to do in life and landed a nice career? Nice!
You’re still single? That really sucks.
Our family blew up? Dad’s gone? Oh…
At 19, it was right before a rough few years. My parents went through a messy and drawn-out divorce that I was dragged through the middle of, and ended with my dad dying. Those events helped me figure out who I was and ultimately led me to where I am today, which is in a pretty good spot, but it was a terrible price to pay.
Your dog is awesome.
Your job is pretty cool. I don’t think I’m ready for that yet, but I’ll keep that on my radar.
Your beard and moustache are epic. Shame about the hair, but I knew that was coming.
Congrats on getting married, can’t wait to meet her.
Donald Trump? Twice? Really? And they do what? Fuck, man…fuck.
“They use computers to do what??? Shit, guess I’ll become a woodworker then.”
Haha, I bought a lot of second-hand wood working tools last week. Looking forward to getting into it again. It’s certainly a grounding practice in a world gone mad.
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I’m just surviving, dawg
Younger me was really depressed, like clinically and so caught up in himself that I think he’d hear me, but not actually listen to what I’d have to say. And I don’t totally blame him, he was very confused and hadn’t really figured himself out yet.
I think he’d be surprised but also unhappy with the direction of my life… But he’d be unhappy no matter what since he still hadn’t figured out how to beat his depression and make his own happiness.
Plus he’s not only stubborn but also secretly a bit arrogant and needs to fall on his face a lot to learn lessons. His failures will be his greatest teachers. The fact that he even can fail will be very hard to accept but very needed as well.
So overall, I don’t expect his reaction would be great. But I also can’t see myself wanting to give him any advice nor do I really care what he would think… Actually I would tell him to lift with his knees and not his back more, properly show him how to do it too.
Ooh yeah… I as lucky enough to have a parent with back pain, so paid attention early on how to avoid it. Still got a sore back though 🥲
“Non-bina-what? Don’t know about it. But let’s focus on the real information please. We don’t play League of Legends anymore? What do we play with our friends then? … we left our friends because they were idiots? WHAT? HOW?”
Oof. There are some feels there.
My 19yo self would be very excited to see the enby hottie I’ve become, wholly unsurprised to learn that I’m still with the partners I was at the time, and very worried about what could have happened to destroy my faith in singularitarianism.
I’d have to go back to 10yo me to find an egg. Parents divorced the year before, and I was still devouring the local library for fun because we didn’t have internet yet. Little-Me would have incessant questions I wouldn’t be able to answer without violating the trans prime directive, but I do deeply wish I could have had just one enby role model back then so I wouldn’t have had to spend my first puberty in denial instead of on puberty blockers.
Young me: WAIT GAMES ARE 3D?! Holy shit 2025 must be awesome
Not young me: Um…
She would be absolutely stunned. Probably wouldn’t believe me. At 43 I’m married to the guy I was dating at 19. At 19 I had dropped out of college and thought I wanted to be an artist; at 43 I’m already retired from a successful career in academic research. At 19 I had no thoughts about politics or the world as a whole (9/11 hadn’t happened yet); at 43 I’m pretty informed and opinionated. And she’d probably be surprised how much I’m into the outdoors, healthy living, and weightlifting, given that she had negative interest in those things. The rest is pretty consistent - e.g., I’ve always loved music from the '60s, fun nail polish, scifi, swimming, and handmade art (drawing, beading, etc).
Fuck yeah. Sounds like a great trajectory!
I mean the math checks out, but holy crap, you’re 43, but at 19 ‘9/11 hadn’t happened yet…’
