The Cheese State

A friend of mine is doing this 31 questions in March blogging writing challenge (https://marquessamatthews.com/2021/02/10/want-to-join-me-for-a-writing-challenge-alexandrafranzen/). I don't know if I'll manage to do the whole month. 

March 16 – If you could sit down with your 15-year old self, what would you tell him or her?

I already covered this. 15 year old me would kick my ass. First off, she wouldn't believe me that our life goes this way. I would not be able to convince her. 

But there are a few ups of my life. John, Nicki, Katie, Mike, Renee... 

And if I weren't on this life path, I might not have them. 🦋

Then again, John also worked with my mom, so it's possible, not likely but possible, that we still could have met. And three of the best friends I listed are writers, so we still might have met in much the same way. And Renee's life has been complicated enough that we still might have met, but probably not as co-workers.

So, okay. What could I tell young me? That the friends she has will betray her? That everyone she knows will lie to her in 2 years, and that lie will derail her life and destroy everything? That her boyfriend will survive brain surgery, and the doctors are wrong, because he's gonna live another decade. 

Young me would at least be grateful for the last one. Of course, the reason he lived is because he went SUPER HEALTHY. Growing his own food and everything. So she'd have to not tell him, that way he'd fight for life. 

And do a way better job fighting than me. Maybe she should go to Wisconsin. I don't know. Then move back here when he's gone. And then meet John. It only changes the timeline by a little. 

Actually... it changes EVERYTHING. Because if I was in Wisconsin, I would not inhale that chemical. My lungs would work. And life would be vastly different. 

🧀