Reverb10 - Future Self

December 21 – Future Self. Imagine yourself five years from now. What advice would you give your current self for the year ahead?

Hey, so you turn 32 years old this year. You may think that's old but I'm turning 37 and, you know what, that's almost 40 so quit your bitching. Yeah, your knees are in worse shape now than they were back in 2011 but that's because you still insist on doing some pretty stupid shit. A word of advice, replace the gutters on your house and do it right because that little incident way back in 2008 when you insisted on crab walking along half of your roof line with a small garden trowel in hand to clean the leaves, seeds, branches, gravel and other assorted crap out of them was flat out stupid. You do realize how high up your roof is and that your driveway isn't made of feathers, right?

Don't worry about going gray or having thinning or even balding hair. Trust me, in the next five years you barely add to your rather distinguished collection of gray hairs so quit asking our wife to pluck them with that damn tweasers. She hates it and it makes a terrible fucking mess and we both know how little you like cleaning.

And another thing, quit fretting about your job. The powers that be, even though it doesn't seem like it to you in 2010, recognize you as one of the cornerstones of the company. Even though you see no possibility of moving up -- and instead view your only hope of advancement as moving out -- there is hope. All that crap you're struggling with in your down time will lead to that move up you've been looking for. It's actually going to be pretty big so that place in the country you're always half-joking about will happen. It also seems that you were serious about having an orchard of sorts because the amount of pears, apples, grapes, blueberries and other fruit you sell and give away is pretty astounding. And that stuff you give away finally shows yourself that you have a heart because that fresh produce helps alot of people and keeps plenty of families from going hungry. You don't have to worry about looking greedy because for everything you think you've been handed without working hard enough for, you are now working harder than ever and end the days feeling exhausted but also fulfilled.

Lastly, stop thinking of yourself as a nomad. Those neighbors you have in 2010 will make some damn good friends and even though you do, in fact, move again a few years later it isn't very far and with that place in the country you find yourself doing alot more entertaining and mixing old and new friends will prove to be easy as, amazingly, they all just get along and actually have shared interests.

Just keep your chin up. That hard work will pay off and don't let the downfalls hold you back. Every mistake will actually propel you forward and teach you something. Vague, right?