Navel-gazing, inspired by moominmolly

[oakenguy]

One of the nice (and alarming) things about the internet is that it's now possible for me to google Usenet posts I made about a decade ago. I was relieved to see that, generally, I got the impression that I'd still get along pretty well with ten-years-younger me, if I ran into him. There aren't even that many Big Mistakes I'd have to warn him about. The danger of letting student loan payments slide, and that he really shouldn't try to light huge gas stoves, but that's about it.

(Now *twenty*-years-younger me, that's another story. What an idjit. It'd have to be a three-part lecture series, with essay assignments.)

For the longest time I wasn't sure if I really *changed* that much from decade to decade. My internal voice has never changed, if that makes any sense--when I think to myself, it's exactly what I heard when I was 6 or 12 or 21. But now I remember energy levels that I used to have, how fast my mind jumped around when I was in high school, and it seems like I've slowed down...but am I really remembering how I was on an average day, or just on my very best ones?

Comments

[malterre.livejournal.com]

Younger selves.

My younger self would like me very much but tell me I should lose weight. She would be appalled to hear what comes out of my mouth and think
"No way is that me, this is a trick."

But I think it is important that your younger self like you. I have a friend who has become the antithesis of her younger self and I believe that is the source of much inner unhappiness.

To the 23-yr-old Oakenguy. he has only become BETTER with age (one assumes)
*cheers*