if you could go back...

To help me better understand the path to serious careers via college, technical school, or whatever. It was all so hazy for me and I felt totally overwhelmed and freaked out! For example, I was a "gifted kid" but a huge underachiever in high school and I thought to get any real scholarships you had to be in the top 2% of the class or a sports star. I was so peeved to find out with my testing scores and even a B average I could have had a free ride to college...wat!? I also had it in my head that "regular people" couldn't become doctors, lawyers, etc. I thought by not being straight A with 50 extracurricular activites I was doomed yet nothing could have been further from reality.

I wound up doing okay, I have a BA and decent job, able to support myself since I was 19 or 20. But I think my parents (who didn't go to college) just thought the teachers & counselors would handle this, which is interesting as they were very hands-on and informative about every other part of life.

I don't blame them because they were ignorant about most of this stuff but I think that's the one area they really could have done better. They were both raised in an era when college was less common and in their small city after high school most people just started applying for jobs and took what they could get. I think now with the internet it is (hopefully) easier for parents and teens to figure it all out!

I would thank them, sincerely for all they did. They aren't perfect, but they did the best they knew how and I turned out pretty well.

That being said, I would tell them to stop demonizing alcohol, because I'm gonna try it regardless and *SHOCK*, am not an alcoholic because of it.

Wear a seat belt. Or better yet, just walk home from the bar. It's 3 blocks.

Oh man....Hugs

1. Don't be so cold to me, yet warm and fuzzy with my siblings. Yes, I'm the oldest, but it doesn't mean I don't need love.
2. Teach me how to socialize, or actually, what's society like. You don't have to raise me to be exactly like you are, because you're the living proof it doesn't work. It's your fault I'm 23 and still live at home.

Wow, there's a lot of anger in some of your posts, which was not what I expected when I looked at the topic. Which is probably why the world is so misguided and violent. May I suggest therapy, and not on this type of forum.

It's not anger. It's honesty. Nothing wrong with being honest. It's actually healthy.

I would tell my mom that when she realizes the man she has allowed to be my stepfather is in my bedroom and not hers that she should go upstairs and walk in on him, and then call the police. That would be a start. Or that any of the number of things she witnessed go way beyond "red flag". I really don't think there was much hope for my mother. Probably be best if I were able to have had the mind of an adult when I was a child, so that I could have taken care of myself and gotten help for myself.

I debated even engaging in this thread once I saw what it was about, but I had to say: eloquently put, as always. That's something I've had to work on for quite awhile--not holding my child self responsible for what I can see, say, and do for myself now as an adult.

...put all your money into intel and microsoft stock.

For my mom I would want to say goodbye. She passed before I could say a final goodbye and I wish I could have had that for closure.