Letter from my 13 year old Self

July 8, 2010 in conversation, history, relationships with 27 Comments

So, when I was 13 I wrote a letter to myself to open when I turned 25.

This past month, I did.

The real miracle is that I actually kept up with it for that long. Secondly, I found out how incredibly uncool I was, which makes sense because of the correlation with how megatron uncool I am now.

I thought I would share, and I have even thrown in some comments and edits from my future self (for the originals only here’s page 1, page 2, & page 3).

Upon seeing the Garfield style envelope I used to house this little time capsule gem of wonder, it was apparent that the following letter would not be much better.

How lovely. I’m glad you all got to take that ride down the teenage path of awkwardness with me. Man, don’t you wish you could just go back, and roundhouse your stupid little self in the face?

Seriously, I don’t even know what else to say. I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed.

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Shauna

Completely awesome!

http://www.kingdomstrategist.com Kevin Ring

Nice wide-ruled paper. Never heard of college-ruled, punk? Cool breeze.

http://www.tylertarver.com Tyler Tarver

Thank you Shauna.

Sir Ring, I’m pretty sure I was inadequate to use college ruled paper, since I’m pretty sure thats the year I told some chick on AIM that I went to “Harverd”

Because that’s how you spell it.

I was not worthy of the college ruleness, I still isn’t. Por que???

Ash Beebes

Haha, I love how you have edited your own paper…what sane person does that?? lol Jk I’ve always had it out for any and all english teachers yet I hail from mid state Ohio…No southern drawl nor do I sound like Bobby’s mom (Don’tcha know)…just flat out…something english..no metronome, no metronome…
I too also separate myself from…my former self….If only I had raised me Id be more awesome than I am… (if thats even possible) Love your videos… Your humor is what more people need in their lives…self-productively destructive or not …and please dont rate my grammar…at least I dont have a natural Britney Spears twang….SNAP! I thoroughly enjoy your site…love that you include the new born and find humor in dangling your pups lol! “Proceed”

http://tylerstanton.com Tyler

That was unbelievable.
I’d give anything to have written a letter to myself when I was 13. It would have been 8 pages of bragging.

http://www.tylertarver.com Tyler Tarver

That’s probably only because you were better than everyone else at everything else.

Except for Power clean, I think my stats are pretty hard to match.

http://www.kellylangnersauer.com/blog Kelly Langner Sauer

I don’t see reason for disappointment. You were where you were – and God loved ya there too. You lived somewhat unselfconsciously, it appears, and THAT is enviable.

http://www.tylertarver.com Tyler Tarver

Thank you for trying to lesson my disappointment.

I just thought I might have had more to say then less than mediocre sports statistics and 8th grade crushes.

You’re probably right, but I might be just a little partial to Kellys always being right from the looks of it.

http://barrycyrus.wordpress.com barrycyrus

Ain’t this super awesome! haha i wished i was into something like this before.

http://www.tylertarver.com Tyler Tarver

Wish I’d have included some A-Rod rookie cards or something.

http://domesticat.net Amy Qualls-McClure

So, I came across this letter randomly – a friend retweeted a friend who retweeted a link to it. I thought it would be neat to read over a note like this — but what absolutely freaked me out was when I started recognizing the names in the letter. I yelled “OMG HE WENT TO MY HIGH SCHOOL” before it clicked who you were.

You wouldn’t remember me. I’m several years older than you. I don’t know if you link on your blog where you went to high school, so I won’t list it here, but I’ll provide this photo of from many years ago from a place you should recognize: http://is.gd/dkjyU That’s me, almost a decade ago, by my name on the sidewalk. (Yes, that’s Ashley’s older brother’s name, right above mine.)

Many, many years ago, your mother and my mother taught second grade together. If you have a moment, please tell her that Carol’s younger daughter waved hello. She’ll remember me.

The interwebs are sometimes verrrra verra small.

http://www.tylertarver.com Tyler Tarver

Oh my dear goodness. Of course I remember Mrs. Qualls and you and of course I’ll tell my mom you said hello via internetie.

That is too awesome.

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Daniel

don’t be so hard on yourself
Steve Maurer

When you get to be 50, hopefully you’ll come to love that gawky adolescent as much as you love your own year old son or daughter when they’re that age.

You can bring out your diary and show it to them to make them feel better.

It’s hard being a teenager. It’s even harder for some to be cool. The hardest thing is to learn not to care about whether people think you’re cool or not.

Just a bit of advice from someone who’s a bit further down the road than you.
http://alexandersitedesign.com Matt Alexander

I wish there were less edits. It’s very interrupting.

Are you worried that people will think you’re still 13?

http://www.tylertarver.com Tyler Tarver

Not quite, even though most of my strength statistics have not improved.

Just thought it might add a little bit to it.

http://alexandersitedesign.com Matt Alexander

No offense intended.

http://www.tylertarver.com Tyler Tarver

None taken at all bro. I fixed it with links w/no edits.

Thanks for the advice.

John

I look forward to seeing you post the letter you should write to yourself now to open when you turn 40.
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Jessie

This was just….mind blowing in a wierd way. Its always weird to read something that is personal to one of the teachers at your former school….. its like..man…he was a kid, when i was a kid…woah….Good idea writing to yourself there Tarver. Great idea. I think I will have to do that too. It was cool of you to post the original letter instead of just retyping it. Thank you for sharing that. It was cheesy and cool. hah.
Lili

I’m so jealous! My freakin 13 yr old self didn’t give a rat’s a%# about my 25 yr old, let alone my 41 yr old self. You should really appreciate how thoughtful and forward thinking your 13 yr old self was and not be so mean to him. I actually think he would have more followers than you! (not trying to be mean to your 25 yr old self).
http://www.jlkjkqwehfjhg.com Faith Bernhart

I have been browsing online more than three hours today, yet I never found any interesting article like yours. It is pretty worth enough for me. In my view, if all site owners and bloggers made good content as you did, the internet will be much more useful than ever before.
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Jennifer B. White

Well Tyler, I spent way too much time on your blog site than
I intended. I hate you for that. Okay, hate is a strong word, let’s try detest.
I wasted way too much of my valuable time laughing my [insert profanity] off at
your 13 year-old letter to yourself. It prompted me to locate diaries from when
I was 13. All I said were things like, “My cousin came over for a sleepover. We’re
gonna have a sayonce. [seance].” I did, however, find a novel I wrote when I
was 14. I’m pretty every character’s name was “borrowed” from kids at school. I’ll
be posting a few pages from that lovely piece of work on my blog. Feel free to read
it and make fun of me. I deserve it. In the meantime, captitalistic pig math
teacher, I bid thee happy writing. Oh, and I still loathe you for being younger
than me.

Jennifer B. White

http://jenniferbwhite.com/blog/