Letters to My Younger Self

No trigger warnings are required.

Letter #1: April 2016

Dear Miranda,

You’re only a few years away from the end of your teenage years. You are nearly 17 years old. 16 going on 17. Oh, geez, on the edge of seventeen or entering the dancing queen year? These have not always been the easiest years of your life. You’ve been bullied. You’ve had crushes. Your crushes haven’t liked you back. You thought you loved someone and you thought that person loved and then they turned out to be a jerk. You’ve tried to fit in by listening to rap and hip hop but hated that music. You tried to listen to a lot of newer music but hated that too. You’ve been stressed out. You’ve been sleep deprived. You’ve also had some great times. Through the highs and lows you’ve experienced throughout these years you’ve still survived. You never went through with your suicidal thoughts. This has been a great time of learning for you.

You love that retro vibe. You love the music that your parents grew up listening to like Fleetwood Mac, Rush, Stevie Nicks, ABBA, Heart, Journey, Kansas, etc. You like some old country like Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton and Reba McEntire. You like some old pop like Sister Sledge and Cher. You like very little new music. You are currently in love with the music of Stevie Nicks and Sheryl Crow. Classic rock is your favourite genre of music.

You have a variety of hobbies including writing and reading. You like old TV shows like Hart to Hart and Charlie’s Angels. Needless to say, you’re old-fashioned. You are kind of like other teenagers. You listen to music a lot, you like reading and viewing celebrity photos and social media posts and you enjoy seeing what your favourite celebrities are up to, you use Instagram a lot, you watch celebrity interviews on YouTube, and you get obsessed with movies, songs, etc.

You are currently waiting to meet your soul mate. You want an all-around good guy. You want husband material. You want to meet the love of your life. You feel like you’re going to be single for the rest of your life. Let me tell you, you won’t be single for the rest of your life. You will meet that guy. It may take years, but you will meet him, someday. You will have the fraternal twins you want, you will have the house you want and you will have the life you want. You know what you want. You just haven’t found it yet. You will be so happy when you do.

You love your parents which is good because most people your age hate their parents and want nothing to do with them. You love them even when you don’t quite see eye to eye with them. You want your freedom, but they want to protect you. Just let them protect you. You want to move out and get a tattoo when you’re eighteen. Your parents don’t want you to move out when you’re eighteen. So, just stay with them until after college. You don’t have to get your tattoo when you’re eighteen, you can get it later.

Your teenage years have been a great learning experience for you. You learned about who you are. You learned you want to be a journalist. You learned you want to go to St. Clair College for journalism. You learned you’re straight, you’re attracted to men, you’re smart, sensitive and a good writer, good with kids, a bit socially awkward, but you’re a good person. Stay strong, don’t let others get to you. Just be you. Don’t drink, smoke or do drugs.

Sincerely,

Yourself, Miranda M. Monahan

P.S. Good things will come. You just have to wait.

Letter #2: August 2022

Dear Miranda,

How's life?

You are 23 years old. You earned a Master's degree in journalism and are now an art historian and an English teacher because let's face it you are a nerd. This is because the journalism job market sucks. You want to travel the world and work abroad. You are looking to do a working holiday in Ireland in the next year or so.

Your dream job is to work at the Smithsonian or the ABBA Museum or the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. See you are still obsessed with ABBA and other older bands and musicians.

You prefer living a single life and do not want to get married and have children and do not want to get tattoos and you still live at home because the housing market sucks. You are bisexual, pansexual aromatic, asexual and non-binary. You have no desire to date. You use they/them/theirs pronouns.

You still post your photography work on Instagram and you still follow celebrities on the platform. You enjoy shooting landscapes objects, nature, the sky, cityscapes and travel.

You still love all the old music you used to. Same with TV shows. You still get obsessed with things. Your current obsession is Gilmore Girls. Your inspiration is Katja Herbers, who plays Dr. Kristen Bouchard on Evil (2019-present) and who played Dr. Helen Prinz on Manhattan (2014-2015).

You are still the same girl you always were, just a little wiser.

I love you.

Sincerely,

Yourself, Miranda M. Monahan

P.S. See you in another six years.