A letter from 2021 - happy birthday!

Dear FutureMe, Hey. So, you just turned 21. I guess you're turning 21 when you're getting this, but I bet you won't check your email on your birthday. Not because it's your birthday, just because you never check your email. I'm going to write a lot because I know how much you love these messages - they're like a glimpse into someone else's life. We are, after all, the same person. Okay. Enough stalling, here's some stuff about current me. I'm 16 years old. My junior year of high school just started. I have the top layer of my hair bleached, the rest my natural brown color. It's also in a wolf cut type thing, which, in case you don't remember, is like an almost-mullet. I like wide-leg ripped jeans, tight tops, Converse, Docs, '90s grunge, and flannels. I don't really have a label on my style, I just wear what I want. 21 year old you probably thinks it's stupid, thinks I think I'm cooler than I am. I don't think I'm particularly cool, but I will admit that I think people should like me. I'm aware of my faults, but I think if I was a different me and met me, I would love her. Maybe that's where Kenna comes in. She's my best friend right now, and I bet forever. We're basically the same person. I can't imagine us ever fighting (we're both too non-confrontational for that), so it's till ***** do us part for us. I really hope she's not dead - that's a half joke, but also actually. I also hope you're not dead. That's very awkward if you're, like, my parents or something checking my email after I tragically died young. Hope I'm not manifesting that, lol. Hi, parents, if it's you. Let's discuss views. I think I'm an atheist right now, but not a particularly informed one. I want to learn more about theology and different religions before I say for sure. Same with politics and economics; I'm very left leaning, but I don't want to put much more of a label on it because I don't think I know anything. I also think I may be lesbian - I recently broke up with Jonah for that reason. I don't know if I like women, but I don't really think I like men? I really have no idea, though. Have you figured that one out yet? Honestly, probably not. You're very indecisive. I hope you've dated at least one person other than Jonah in the last five years (although maybe third time's the charm). I hope you're not still a virgin. If you are, please enjoy the next paragraph of me mocking you for being a 21 year old virgin. If not, you can just skip it. Haha, virgin. F---ing loser. I can't imagine being a virgin and also 21. Like, you've had opportunities already. Just go do it. It's (presumably) fun. I mean, 16 year old you doesn't want to, but 21 year old you is definitely at the age of wanting to. Do it. Loser. Loser virgin. Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. Okay. Back to normal stuff. What else is there to say... OH. School. I'm class president (uncontested election, "class dictator", I'm sure you remember). I'm in BR's kind of awful concert choir with a total of 8 guys, two of whom can actually sing. I'd like to think I can sing, though. What did you choose to do for your Senior Solo? I'm thinking Light in the Hallway by Pentatonix right now. I'm tenth in my class and have a 4.9something GPA. I hope I got into a good college. I guess you're a junior in college right now? I don't really know how that works. I don't feel like googling it. God, I hope you got into a good college - wondering about that keeps me up sometimes. I hope you're not in state, maybe not even the south. I hope that at the very least you're not at NGU. What are you doing in college? Right now, I'm thinking history or education -> history teacher -> education reformer, but I know that's going to change about a billion times before I actually decide. I guess it's about time that I do, though. Not much longer till I have to decide for sure. Oh, here's a fun thing - you can legally drink now! I'm sure you've been doing it illegally by now, although I haven't at the time I'm writing this email. I wonder if you ever did other drugs. Just don't do anything harder than weed, okay? Maybe it's finally widely legal. (Haven't tried that either, just so future me knows. I'm not lying for the sake of the law, either, lol.) Little dark, but like... if you're depressed or have an eating disorder or something, which wouldn't exactly surprise me, get help. This isn't what 2021 me wants for 2026 me. I want you to get better. Don't let yourself fall into a rut too deep to escape. I love you, for real. You're really cool, I'm sure, since I just keep getting cooler. AAANYWAY. What else do I like. My friends? Jayden lowkey gets on my nerves, but I love him anyway. Emily is great. Kenna is amazing and she better still be in your life. Same with Jonah and Madi. Remember that you want Jonah to be your kids' *** uncle or artificially inseminated father. Anyway. I wonder what happened with Hunter S. We're on sort of shaky terms right now since he stopped consistently responding to my messages. I don't think I did anything, I think he's just busy, but maybe that's naive. Whatever the case, let me know if y'all kept talking. Other people I sort of talk to but would like to know better include Sophia L., Shania, Claire (sits next to me in choir), Nathan (also choir). Oh, there's also that one Molly girl who goes to the fine arts center. She seems cool. What kind of music do you like now? I like a lot of things, but especially Taylor Swift, Chloe Moriondo, Panic! At The Disco (I know they're cancelled, sh), Pentatonix (shut up shut up I know it's stupid), Kacey Musgraves, Waterparks, and Paramore. I know that's going to change, at least some of it. I wonder how many of those people are cancelled by 2026. Is Pentatonix still around? Right now, Kevin has a kid and Matt is engaged, so I bet they're going to get too busy with their families to deal with that. I bet they'll release one or two more original albums and a few Christmas albums and then dip. I think Chloe Moriondo has a long career ahead of her. Oh, I bet all of the Taylor Swift rerecords are out now - how's the 10 minute version of All Too Well? Maybe she's even released another album or two after the rerecords (rock?). They're supposed to be done by 2023 unless, I don't know, another pandemic hits or something. That would suck. Pandemic. Yeah, that. I desperately hope Covid's not still an issue by the time I'm most of the way through college. I think I would actually die. I've already got the two vaccines and have since April 9th, 2021. I bet it's going to cycle around like the flu. As long as it doesn't keep getting worse and worse, it's... fine, I guess. If it's gone, remember how lucky you are to not have all of the awful pandemic stuff. Masks, distancing, etc. If it's not gone.... I am so, so, so sorry. I think there's supposed to be a post pandemic economic boom like the roaring 20s. Another random question. How was 2's day? February 2, 2022. I bet it was kind of fun, but overall not that interesting. I only bring it up because it's an interesting specific date between when I'm writing this and when you're receiving it. Crazy to think that that's four years ago for you. Do you still do camp? I was an LDP a few weeks ago. It was great but I don't know if I'll go on staff. Did you? What number iPhone are they on? Maybe like, 18? They're already on 12. I have a red iPhone 11 that I just inherited from Sonja (aunt) yesterday. I bet that's like, ancient to you, but it's nice now. Maybe iPhone won't even be a thing, but I doubt it. Maybe you have something cooler? I bet you just have a very fancy iPhone, though. Probably has like six cameras and can make holograms. Also, I bet every restaurant has those ordering kiosks like Panera does now. I bet there's a job crisis because of AI/robots/machines taking all of the jobs. I bet everything is commonly voice or maybe gesture controlled, or at the very least app controlled. No more TV remotes. Actually, cable TV is probably gone. It mostly is already. Netflix probably lost the race of streaming services. It's just not that cool. Cars probably have some really cool features. Maybe they're all self driving or something. Has Tik Tok failed or had a huge, huge, huge controversy yet? I bet so, but I also bet you're too old to be paying attention. Just one last thing, I'm going to tell you about my surroundings. I'm at my mom's desk on her very large Mac computer. There is an empty Coke can and an unopened Belle Vie (knockoff Aldi La Croix) sitting next to me. My phone is also next to me with the black case with the holding string that Sonja gave me. Dad is behind me at his desk working. The TV in between the desks is pointing at him and playing an instrumental ad, but the TV he's watching is the Rachel Maddow show (MSNBC). I'm listening to Fit n Full by Samia on Spotify on these clunky white headphones that plug into the computer (bet those are obsolete by your time). There are a ton of sticky notes and my old art and some photos on the mostly unused bulletin board next to me. The desk is covered in various papers that I don't really feel the need to explain. I'm wearing a red sweatshirt that I stole from Dad, too-small Nike athletic shorts, and one Adidas and one Nike sock. The song just changed to New Year's Day by Taylor Swift. Original version - rerecorded isn't out yet. There's a WiFi modem next to me (do you still use WiFi? I don't know what would replace it). My Airpods (second generation, I think) are charging on a wire connected to the computer. The floor is green and cold. My nails are chipping, but painted black. I have a cold, I'm sniffling. My bangs are in my eyes a bit. I hope the world is a little better, a little more progressive. I'm kind of very tired of writing stuff, so I'm just going to leave you with some final thoughts. Stay individual and question everything. I don't doubt that you'll do that, but I want to make sure. Remember that you can be anything. Look up at the stars sometimes - they're underappreciated. Maybe listen to some classic rock while you do. Be assertive - firm, but kind. Drink some tea; Constant Comment by Bigelow is your favorite right now. There's a lot more out there than your phone, so put it down and go do something real. Trust yourself. Go read some books - not assigned books, personally chosen books. Talk to new people, especially those with differing perspectives. Explore when you can. Stop and smell the roses. Make the most out of your life - you only get so long, and you're probably about 1/4 through. I'm sixteen now, I'll be 21 when I get this. A lot has changed. I hope you're doing well. Love you, for real. Keep being you. Good luck. Remember to have fun. - Maggie <3