In the old elementary yearbook, we had to write down slogans or mottos, which were then placed beside our graduation photos. Mine was the terribly worn-out “If at first you don’t succeed…” Others came up with variations of “Honesty is the best policy” and “If there’s a will, there’s a way,” if I remember correctly. I doubt we honestly believed or understood what our chosen maxims truly meant, as we were only grade six students with generally simple concerns.
As an adult now, I can only smile at the innocence and the attempt at sounding wiser than we actually were. But I can also say that I know some truths now, and that I’d share some words to live by with my younger self--maybe my teenaged version--if that were possible. Here’s a short list.
1. If you’re hanging by the fingernails, dig into the dirt and climb your way back up.
2. After 16 years of school, the real hard lessons begin.
3. There will always be assholes, so learn to deflect their shit.
4. When life gives you lemons, make a fuss, then make lemonade.
5. After making friends and making love, rediscover the brains behind the body.
6. There’s beauty in chaos, sometimes.
7. No matter how high your scores were in abstract reasoning, you won’t ever understand algebra.
8. You’ll feel like a whore without prostituting your body, sometimes, but you gotta eat.
9. Happiness comes in different forms, and is usually affordable.
10. Believe in yourself and in what you can do, because the world owes you nothing.
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