A letter from Apr 14, 2023

Dear charlie, its 2023 and I just had to make a essay for English class and thought it might be useful to you in a couple of years, anyway, this is it.... good luck Manifesto of a teenage girl Dear charlie, When you turn around the age of 12, change will happen. Your body will evolve, such as growing curves, or hair will start to appear. At first you will feel clumsy, as time goes on you will get used to it, learning how to deal with it. If you don't know how to control it, ask an older woman, someone that knows more about it. There will always be someone that can help you, even if it is a stranger, we have all been there before, there's no need to feel ashamed. If you look around you will see many people that have changed their appearance for the public, such as straightened hair, or curled hair, or dyed hair, I'm not saying that that's wrong, but if you do decide to do those things, do it for yourself, not for others. Although no matter what, you are beautiful, sometimes the standards that are being built around you will make you feel as if you are not. Be aware that no matter how much you try to fit in it is impossible to be satisfied, there will always be a point where you will want more, it is important to focus on yourself and not what you see around you. There will be people who look like they have it under control and live the perfect life but that is their job, to make it seem as if they are composed and faultless, seeming ideal. On screen as well, Disney princesses are all shown to have a small waist and a perfect body, as if trying to normalize all girls looking like that, when in reality there are multiple body types that are just as beautiful. Because everyone has made it to where if you had such body like they do in the movies you were to have a ”perfect body”, boys will ask only those girls while others in the friend group get ignore, although there are ways to get such body, there's no need to, and not all can get it. Some girls even feel the need to stop eating to get attention or look better, developing eating disorders, or becoming mentally ill. When out in public while showing “too much skin” there will be a big chance in getting cat called, ignore it, on the occasion of speaking out loud we will be told that we were “asking for it” when in reality we were just trying to get from point A to B. Stereotypes will also take a big role in your teenage years, like assuming we're all addicted to social media, or that older generations had it harder, everyone has their own problems whether it's body issues or screen time. People will also try to insist on you doing something that you have never tried before. Such as getting into a relationship, don't feel pressured, you don't have to do anything you don't want to do. You could try it out, if you don't like it take a break, maybe try again in a while. Or if its to vape, I would recommend to stay off that, if your friends want you to do it with them but you don't feel comfortable, leave, or talk about it, I'm not saying to never talk to them again, considering they are your friends but good friends should not force something on to you. Not only your friends, but your family or if you were to be in a relationship, your partner. Learn to say no. A lot of girls have a problem with saying “no”, causing them to become a people pleaser, once you start they will keep asking, by saying no you will sound more confident and sure of yourself by not letting other people control you. But If you were to say no to your partner on something they wanted to do you could be called fragile, stupid or a virgin, causing them to look down on you, on the other hand if you say yes you could be called easy or a ****. When you do decide to do something with someone make sure you have consent and they have yours. It is overlooked but very important. Only decide to do something when both are fully conscious and not under the influence, or when deciding to leave a party make sure you have a designated driver that you know and know didn't drink. If everyone you know can not drive at the moment it is not an excuse to drive with someone you don't know or has been drinking, call an uber. Making sure you get home safe. Sooner or later you will develop a need to want to fit in, the only way to win is to realize that no matter what, that need will keep coming back, the challenge is to ignore it, to not let people tell you how to feel, do as YOU please. If you feel like wearing a pink cowboy hat to school, do it. Don't let those stares bring you down. Let your confidence lead the way. “Confidence is key” is a saying I live by, and if you don't have confidence just fake it until you make it. If you imagine yourself as confident, so will others. The opinions of others will only do as much as you let it. Don't let them lose what you fought hard to get. Along with your mentality changing, your emotions change too. Around 13 percent of US teens have experienced at least one major depressive episode in the past year. While boys have the problem as well, girls are three times as likely as boys to experience depression. If you were to be feeling sad it's ok, someone will be there to help. There are multiple ways to get help, such as professional treatment, some kids don't feel comfortable talking to strangers about their feelings, which is ok. There are other options, including coping skills like journaling your feelings. But whatever you decide to do, ask for help. Don't feel embarrassed or ashamed, no one will look down on you for it.