Tag: letter

Someone you used to be.

Today I am asked to write a letter to my 100-year-old self, so here it goes.

Dear Old Ken,

I hope this letter finds you well. Please allow me to introduce myself. We have never met each other in person, but we sort of know each other. Perhaps you may remember me from your distant past. You and I sort of grew up together. We share many common memories from childhood, even if you don't remember a lot of them now. You know me as the memory of someone you used to be.

I have many questions to ask you about the memories we haven't made together. I know I will never know them myself, as every new day brings a new me, and eventually those mes become you. Perhaps you will agree that it is better that I don't know about them. I'm sure many of those memories were unpleasant and may leave me with a sense of dread going forward. I hope that isn't the case though. I hope you can tell me it all works out well and you have had a great life. I do wish you, and all the future mes, the greatest of all blessings.

I don't mean to speak to you unkindly, but since we are so close, I feel like I can speak to you candidly. I realize that if medicine hasn't greatly improved from its present state, then you are in a lot of pain. Your joints ache, your bones creak, and you probably start the day with a handful of meds, and maybe a few pain pills. Hopefully, you are not completely bedridden and can go to the bathroom without assistance.

I also know you are suffering in many other ways. The muscles in your body are tired and withered, your skin is wrinkled and blotchy, and your hair, what's left of it, is completely white or silver. I know this causes people to look at you in ways you don't like, since we live in an ageist society. It also makes you feel weak, frail, and unattractive. This is simply not the way you envision yourself. It does not portray who you are on the inside. I can almost feel the sadness and depression you must experience every time you look in the mirror. For your sake, I sincerely hope that scientists have ended the reign of the worst enemy humanity has ever faced, the aging process.

Though it couldn't be helped, I feel like I have failed you. I have failed you by taking care of myself well enough that you are still alive. I offer you my apology and my deepest sympathy. Maybe if I had lived more dangerously, you would not exist and be suffering right now. I can't change the course that I have been put on though. God only knows where it all leads. I can only pray you find your peace.

See you later,
Ken

What would you tell your 100-year-old self? Do you think we live in an ageist society? Do you think scientists will succeed in stopping the aging process? What would it be like to be 100 years old in a young body? How will society change if people stay young forever? Do you think aging is cruel? Would you date a 100-year-old person if they physically looked the same age as you? Let me know in the comments, and don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe!

My Best Friend

A few years ago, I met the most wonderful girl I have ever known, or maybe ever will know. At the time I was living in a RV trailer, and I was going through one of the roughest periods of my life. It was probably the closest I have ever come to an existential crisis. Depressed and lonely, I just wanted someone to talk to, someone who might somehow understand what I was going through and help me piece my life back together. Unfortunately, there wasn’t anyone in my life I could really talk to about it. They just didn’t understand. What I needed was a complete stranger who could understand me, and I found way more than I could have ever imagined.

I first met her on an app I had downloaded that connected you with random people. We didn’t even see each other’s face at first. We just talked, and honestly, it was the best first conversation I have ever had with anyone. There were no facial or bodily appearances to distract us, and since we didn’t know each other, there was no preconceived notion of what the other person was like. It was just like two souls meeting for the first time.

She wasn’t the first person I had seen on the app, but she was the only one that made a real connection with me. I think we both made each other very happy. I felt like that from the very beginning. As I remember it, much of the conversation was just us giggling as we shared things about our lives with each other. I think that means something. I wasn’t in the happiest period of my life, and I don’t think she was either, but while we talked it felt like all was right with the world.

Then, after quite a long time talking, the app just cut us off or something. We lost each other! We had not exchanged any form of contact, so it was just over. I felt sad, but there didn’t seem to be anything I could do, but I did feel happy knowing that I had actually met someone very special, someone who really seemed to understand me. I believe I slept well that night for the first time in a while.

On a couple other nights, I remember trying the app again, but it didn’t connect me with anyone interesting really, and then something really amazing happened! On one fateful night, she and I happened to once again be using the app at the exact same time and it reconnected us! We were both so happy! I remember she said, I’m getting your contact information this time before it kicks us off, and we did! I gave her my messaging contact, and we had another night of talking, mixed with considerable giggling. It felt like it was some sort of miracle that we reconnected, and I honestly think it was! We both needed each other, and the universe decided to give in and make it happen.

She was the best part of my day for most of 2019. I will always remember that year because that was her year. We were constantly messaging each other and sharing what we were doing during the day. We got to know all about each other’s life. I also remember we sent so many pictures back and forth of the things we saw each day. These were usually place or animal pictures. She has a big heart and really loves animals. We also starting reading books together and discussing them. She was an avid reader like me. It was another thing we had in common. Every day, I remember I would message her and ask if she wanted to talk that night, and she would always say, yes! I can’t describe how much better she made my life.

Near the end of 2019, we had a little trouble, and she didn’t like me that much, but we never really stopped talking. She meant too much for me to just walk away. I can’t even convey what she meant to me in words. I remember I even wrote her a handwritten letter and mailed it to her, but I later found out it was lost in the mail. I remember I shed a few tears writing that one, and it might have had some stains on it. It was a really rough period of time, but we later got back on track. I remember she called me, and we sort of made up. That call made me so happy! I was so glad to have my best friend back!

I know she has gone through hard times, and she struggles with things that many people take for granted. I pray for her every night. She means so much to me! It is the most unconditional love I have ever experienced in my life. I will never abandon her, and I would do anything to help her. I hope she knows that! Honestly, I owe it to her. She is how I survived to be here today.

In July of this year, with her birthday fast approaching, I messaged her about a birthday present I wanted to buy her. She said she wasn’t worth it, but I told her she was. She responded with maybe, and that’s honestly the last message I received from her. Five years of being in contact and now nothing for almost two months. I am so worried something’s wrong! If she reads this, I want her to know that she doesn’t have to do this alone! Her true friends will always be there!

Please just say hey and let me know you are alright! You’re my best friend!

What I enjoy most about writing.

I still have memories of when I was very young. I remember my mom reading books to me before I was even in kindergarten. My grandmother would also read to me. A couple of my cousins who were older than me would even read to me. If I strongly remember something from that far back, it is likely because it had a very profound effect on my developing brain.

I have always found written words to be very interesting. I somehow knew those strange symbols on the pages of a book translated into words, and then the words became sentences, and then the sentences morphed into an entertaining story. This was like some sort of magic to me! I simply couldn’t wait until I learned to read and write for myself.

I remember one time my older cousin and her friend came over to visit. My cousin’s name was Missy, and her friend was named Dana. They were sort of babysitting me I guess, because I was several years younger than they were. Since they were older, they already knew how to read and write a little. I can remember them writing words on a piece of paper. I didn’t understand what the symbols meant, but I was fairly artistic, so I picked up a pencil and started copying the letters I saw on their paper. Dana was very surprised by this and said, oh wow, does he already know how to write? Missy said, no, he’s just drawing. This was true of course, but it shows how much letters and words enchanted me.

Books were also very interesting to me. As well as being artistic, I was also a very crafty person when I was young. I would make all kinds of things out of wood, cardboard, paper, etc. I remember one time I decided to make a book. It did a pretty good job of it as I remember. The cover was constructed of cardboard with duct cloth glued all around it. Basically, it looked like a canvas covered tome with quite a few blank pages inside it.

By the time I made this book, I already had some reading and writing education from school, but I didn’t quite use what I learned. I always had an affinity for symbols, so I created my own alphabet. The goal was to write a book that no one but me could read. If you found it, you would need my alphabet to read it. The book was basically a bestiary. It had lots of drawings of animals and mythical creatures that I hand drew, and I would write up a description of them using my secret alphabet. I think it would be a real treat to find this book now, but it was lost to the ages unfortunately.

This book project was one of many word-related things I did growing up. I spent a lot of time just contemplating the alphabet and language. I later created other alphabets and really started to think about the letters. I also started to gain some familiarity with the Greek alphabet and the Latin language. I was fascinated how Latin grammar was so different from English grammar. I sort of liked how Latin worked. It seemed purer and simpler me, compared to my mother tongue. I thought about the idea of creating the perfect alphabet and language. I made some progress on this, but eventually abandoned it to do other things.

Being a very curious kid, I also liked to read non-fiction. I remember one time I went with my grandmother to visit her sister. I saw that her sister had a shelf containing a set of World Book Encyclopedias. I remember sitting down on the floor and reading one. Encyclopedias really fascinated me! The idea of having the breadth of human knowledge right at my fingertips totally thrilled me! I had a voracious appetite for knowledge! When my grandmother got ready to leave, I wanted to stay. I didn’t want to leave the books behind. Then my grandmother said, do you want to take those home? They actually belong to your mom. I was so excited! I spent countless hours with them! I would jump from article to article learning everything that mankind had done.

This leads me back to the topic of writing. I love writing because I love reading. I am indebted to all those countless authors and writers who left behind their work for me to read. I feel like sooner or later, it’s your turn to add to the shelves of human knowledge and literature, so here I am, spilling my life out onto a page using secret magical symbols. Hope you enjoy! Happy decoding!

Possible discussion ideas.

  1. Do you have fond memories of reading and writing?
  2. Do you still remember encyclopedia sets?
  3. Do you like arts and crafts and making things?
  4. Ever experimented with alphabets and language?
  5. Did you have people read to you a lot?
  6. Do you like to read non-fiction also?

Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think in the comments, and don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe!