Wishing you the best...

Dear FutureMe, To bring you up to speed, this is your fourteen year old self of January 2nd, 2009. You may or may not remember that this is the same day from which I sent my message to you the month before graduation from Highschool (hopefully Baylor). What do origins matter, though? You've experienced so much... I can't imagine what is happening in your life right now. My expectations of you are not many or specific, but I still hope you have managed to achieve this much: 1) A doctorate's degree in some field or another, 2) a stable and reliable career, 3) some kind of actual relationship with someone you love, 4) the perpetual continuation of a strong relationship with your family, 5) the overcoming of your inability to argue or publicly present yourself, and 6) the making of a difference in the political world. I hope you have been able to retain your principle of freedom over all else and helped America to retain it as well. What do these things mean to you, though? You must be so involved with your life as it is you can hardly even find time to consider some of these goals as set by an unknowing child sixteen years ago. I hope you've been able to attain that which you want most out of life or are on track to do so, though. I face the coming years with fear; I don't know how or if I will be able to cope with what is coming. I know that, to you, these fearful worries are as nothing, insignificant, and, in all ways, trivial. You've already been through any and everything that I worry over, and I admire and respect that you've persevered. None of it matters to you, though. I know. You've put all of this in your past as unimportant. I send this more to reassure myself that, someday, all of this that I fear will be just that to me, unimportant, than to communicate to you. I'm sure this message intrigues you and causes you to recall your past nostalgically. I suppose I should assist you, then. This is the midpoint of your Freshman year at Baylor. We got Super Mario Bros. Wii this Christmas. I'm regretting returning to school due to the depressing homesickness I'm sure to have there. John is still younger than you are now. I'm said to be too skinny. I'm not unpopular at school, but I'm not quite the opposite either. I don't really have any enemies, at least (besides my roommate, I'm sure you remember him *ugh*). I'm still reading The Odyssey. By the way, Merry Christmas! I hope that you're spending this Christmas with your many loved ones, new or old. Perhaps not my biggest fear, but my most important, is that you won't be able to receive this message. If you have, congratulations. It would be a relief to know that you will. Oh, well. Goodbye, old friend. Sincerely, James