What advice would you give to your teenage self?

Posted byVanya Wryter ConsultingPosted inLifestyle, Stories, Writing and EditingTags:, , , , , , ,

I open the door and there is a woman in my closet. She raises a finger to her lips to signal me, “Hush,” as my mouth opens in a silent scream.

“Your mom doesn’t know I’m here, Cassie,” she says as she steps out of the closet. “You won’t get in trouble.” Her eyes pan briefly to my desk. “It’s the night before the big test. Oh, you hated that class so much. You’ll be punished for getting a stupid B+ in that class. What a tragedy. The only class where you don’t get an A.”

“Who are you?” I ask in a voice one notch above a whisper.

“I am Cassie Chen,” says the woman.

I stare at her in confusion. “But I’m Cassie.”

“It won’t always be this bad,” she says. “You’ll finish high school, move out, get a job, and have a fabulous career. You won’t be a doctor or lawyer, though. Ha! Do what you love, not what your mom wants you to be.”

“My mom will stop calling me a failure? She’ll be proud of me?”

“Oh no,” the woman says nonchalantly. “She’s not going to change. But you will. You’ll get out of here. This life-“ she waves her arm to encompass the bedroom that is my prison – “won’t last forever.” She grabs my hand and sits us down on the bed.

“You’re married?” I ask. Her rings sparkled when she waved her hand. She looks like she’s thirty. Beautiful makeup, earrings, and necklace. Stuff I’m not allowed to wear. I see her for the first time. She does look like me. But older.

“I’m forty,” she says. “We have a nice house and a good career. Mom doesn’t approve. Of course, but she can’t do much now. That’s not what I came here to tell you. I came here to say that I believe in you. You’re smart and talented and–”

I burst into tears. No one has ever said that before.

“I know, I know,” the woman says, and hugs me. “I need to go now. Mom is coming.”

“Am I going to see you again?”

“Of course. One day you’ll look in the mirror and you’ll see me. You’ll make it through this.” She returns to the closet. “Gotta go back to my own time. Remember I love you.” She blows me a kiss and shuts the door.

I hear footsteps coming down the hallway, but I rush to the closet and open it. My future self is gone but I can’t stop smiling.

45 thoughts on “What advice would you give to your teenage self?”

  8. It somehow reminds us of what our future may outcome. I hope you write more about this, this is a incredible story, yet, taught me lesson.

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  9. This short story is incredibly moving and beautifully written. The way you’ve captured the encounter between Cassie and her future self is both imaginative and deeply emotional. It’s a powerful reminder of the resilience we can find within ourselves, even in the most challenging circumstances. The message of hope and self-belief amidst the pressure of expectations is very inspiring.

    I’m curious, what inspired you to explore the theme of self-acceptance and the concept of meeting one’s future self? It’s such a unique and compelling way to convey the importance of believing in oneself and persevering through tough times.

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    1. Thanks. Yes, I wanted to contrast the two Cassies to show how resilience can help a person to triumph in the end. The daily prompt asked what we would tell our teenage self, and I write a lot of fantasy stories so I explored the idea of travelling back in time to give the piece of advice.
      If you had the chance to travel back in time and give yourself some advice, would you do so?

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  13. A very thought provoking topic and well presented, Vanya. The one thing I would tell my teenage self is “you can’t change the whole world, but you can certainly change the part of the world that is within your sphere of influence.”

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