Here’s the letter I wrote to myself exactly one year ago (in bold) and my responses.
25 March 2010
24 March 2011
Dear Future Louise,
There’s just one question I have to ask right away: have you been accepted for publication yet? If you’ve gone yet another year without a major acceptance, I don’t know what to say except that truly sucks, and I’m sorry. Go eat chocolate, stat!
Present Louise: Fortunately, I remembered this question was coming (or this would have been way more depressing). I do have a lot more high-profile contacts in the biz, though.
Chocolate? Stat?
Yes, ma’am! Does that still apply if I already ate a bunch of Aero and several natural confectionary dinosaurs today? (Who am I kidding? I can’t disobey a direct order.) *stops to go and buy maltesers, a full-size block of Marble cadbury chocolate, skittles, berry heaven, and a giant cherry ripe easter egg – yep, all of that. Yep, literally*
It was hot today, but not too hot. I’m starting to like autumn. In the past it’s always been a season of dread as Winter approaches. But now I understand why people like it. It’s honestly pleasant. And pretty.
Present Louise: Yeah, I wrote about that here. How not-original am I?
How’s married life? You’ll have been married over two years now. I have a theory that the first two years are the years that your happy biology chemicals help you through. After that, you’re REALLY married. What do you think?
Present Louise: Still happy. I assume CJ is crumbling mind-altering chemicals into my cereal or something, because I really, REALLY like him. Weird.
How are you mentally? Is your anxiety disorder getting better? Do you still get headaches all the time? Are you still afraid to go to work? Do you still panic on special occasions, and are you still afraid of crowds and/or shopping centres?
Present Louise: I think I’m a bit better, although it’s hard to say. Since this time last year I’ve stopped going to church – although I think that’s due to a specific publisher not getting back to me (hanging on and not knowing is something I suck at, and since I can’t be mean to her – it’s not even her fault – I get mad at God. So much so I can’t go to church without crying). Headaches aren’t common. Still okay with tutoring, but not other work.
What advice would you give me if you could write to me? Would you tell me to avoid this new blog system of daily awesomeness, because it’s just too hard – or because it horribly backfires a month from now – or because it’s too expensive? Or would you tell me it was the best decision I ever made?
Advice? Don’t expect publishers to reply anytime soon. As for the awesomeness, it was expensive sometimes, and brain-crushingly exhausting sometimes – but totally worth it. Hey, here’s a video of some of the greatest hits!
The song is “Be Prepared” by Tom Lehrer.
Good luck. . .
. . . I’ll need it.
Louise
Bye.
Some of the videos are from these entries:
https://shootingthrough.net/2010/10/31/221-diet-coke-and-mentos-rocket-pg-for-naughty-language/
http://shootingthrough.net/2010/05/30/put-an-octopus-in-an-unexpected-place/
https://shootingthrough.net/2011/02/27/s79-karaoke/
Wow…. You wrote to yourself pre-awesomeness? Weirdo!
Not weird, Awesome!
I like the idea of writing a letter to yourself!
Thank you for sharing your adventures in reality, it’s been a little ray of sunshine on occasion 🙂
Thanks, Stu! I wish it hadn’t brought up all the most depressing things in life, but oh well. It turns out Past Louise was as ignorant as. . . someone living in the past.