Dear self from three years earlier,

Let me tell you what I wish I'd known sooner:

1. Sign up for running start when you're going into junior year. You won't want to be around high school kids any longer. Trust me. They suck ass.

2. Surprise! You're a boy! Yeah, gotcha with that one, didn't I? No, you're not cis, you're not agender, you're not genderfluid. Just straight up trans-boy. Cut your hair short now, it's AMAZING. Plus you look good in it.

3. No, do not be an astrophysicist. DO NOT take the physics science course. It is living hell. Art may not seem like it will prove a well-paying job, but there are jobs out there. You will be much happier in art.

4. Oooh! Last one, super important! Don't think about relationships because............ SURPRISE! You're asexual! You might feel pressured by society and think people look cute, but you actually just find them aesthetically pleasing in an artistic way and are MUCH happier having a good friend, like Kartar (Make sure to visit her as much as you can).

Good, now if I could only actually send this to you, past self, I'd save myself three confusing, wasted years.

Love ya, present self 2017

So you're a freshman now.  New territory, new faces, and new sense of purpose, right? I didn't think so then, either.  It'll be the same classmates you've had since grade school, clustered with a few you've never seen in your life, huddled into classrooms to backtrack the same shit for the first nine weeks.

I don't want to warn you about the importance of grades.  No need.  Without any real studying or effort, I was in the top 25 of my class, so just coast like we always do and you'll be fine.

I could tell you the successes of business, like who to buy stock from, but money won't change the fact that there's a more pressing issue.

Yeah, THAT thing.  That thing we dealt with for years, it seems.  Let's deal with that, and now instead of later.  Literally everything, physical and emotional, will be resolved in what took me about an hour to fix.  Drugs can help but aren't necessary, at least not for me.

I know neither of us want to talk about that, so moving on (so long as you get on it ASAP).

We are truly terrible on judging character in people.  Ditch that kid with a temper; he gives nothing in return. And play with Fire.  You'll know what that means.  It's a damn shame I didn't learn the truth of that until just a few years ago. 

Other than that, you're on your own.  Consider those points; your life will be exponentially more enjoyable.

Yo bro.

You're not doing too bad. Really. I know people always talk about what asshats they were ten, fifteen or twenty years ago, but I wouldn't call you an asshat. You're a teenager. 

You wanna wear orange Chucks? Do it. Red cargo shorts? Hell yeah. High School isn't important in the ways some people make it out to be, it's more of an opportunity to explore different interests and ideas with little to no lasting consequences. All those extra-curriculars you wanna do? Do 'em. Join the swim team, sing in the choir, audition for the play. 'Cause honestly? When you get older, have some kids, and get a real job, you get one, maybe three hobbies. If the district wants to offer these things to you for free, get all up on that. 

Life advice? Maybe start a career path earlier than I did. Pick a trade, or a profession. Lock in on it. Get all the certifications or schooling you need for it, and make an effort at it, okay? I know that studying was never really a big deal for us, since we were always lucky enough to understand whatever came our way, but in high school they have a vested interest in making sure you pass. College? Grad school? A job? They don't really care. If you don't do what you said you would, or are expected to, that's your problem, not theirs.

Ask dad to explain the following: credit ratings, the difference between a tax deduction and a tax credit, and what APR is.

Ask mom to explain the following: Laundry, cooking anything that isn't pasta, and understanding non-verbal emotional cues. 

Spend more time with Grandma Sue, and with Grandma Tucker. They both die before your thirty, and you'll miss them more than you'd think. 

Focus on finding the positive, not the negative. You can be honest without being cynical. 

Life isn't fair. Don't expect it to be. Life wants you to know it's nothing personal. It's just business. 

Love you man,

Phranque. 

p.s. Jackie needs to leave, The redhead is crazy, Angel will break your heart, and Somer will fix you.