Thursday Thirteen: Things Grown-Up Toni Would Tell Teenage Toni

1. Resist getting bangs!
They are so hard to grow out and once you get them, you'll never get rid of them. Resist!!

2. Don't drive so fast.
You're not a great driver; slow down. You're going to have a couple really, really bad accidents and if you go too fast, you could get badly hurt.

3. Don't be so quick to burn bridges.
I know that being a teenager is all about being impulsive but friends are hard to make as you get older and there is really something special about friends made in childhood (Holla, Suz!).

4. Don't be such a slacker.
Use high school as a time to learn how to study- or at least take notes and manage time. College will be much easier with these skills. It is hard to believe that you won't always be one of the smartest in a room, but it happens and college is all about studying and time management.

5. Take Home Ec.
You don't really get pregnant from the water in this classroom. This course will come in handy as you grow up to be a mediocre cook at best so you need all the help you can get!

6. Don't worry about not having boyfriends.
They don't get your wit and opinions but, just wait, in a few years, you will meet a MAN who will appreciate all of your quirks!

7. Treat Russ better.
This guy will be your first boyfriend. Don't treat him badly by making fun of him saying "I love you" and for being sweet to you. Besides the fact it makes you look terrible to your friends and classmates, it comes back to bite you in the, er, arse. See #8.

8. Don't get drunk and watch Tombstone with Russ.
This would be the biting in the arse mentioned in #7. Beer + alone + horny teens + revenge = broken heart for 19-year old Toni. Resist the urge to just get it over with; it is a special thing and should at least be remember without a Bud Light-induced fog around it.

9. Try and get along better with Grandma Dixie.
When she gets sick, you will be devastated and realize how important she really was. This one is hard because you are both so hotheaded but give it a shot. She won't be around forever.

10. Run for student council, try out for volleyball; think outside of your box!
Don't worry about losing so much; it seems like this is such an embarrassment but just trying is so much more rewarding than always wondering 'what if'.

11. Don't peg those pants.
It looks so bad and stupid. It is just not a good fashion decision; trust me.

12. Hairspray is not a fashion accessory.
I know in the late '80s and early '90s, big hair was still in at PHS but, seriously, it ain't pretty. Really. Not. Cool.

13. High school is only a blip on the radar once you leave.
It is hard to imagine but, once you graduate, all of the drama that defines high school seems so trivial and juvenile. Enjoy this carefree time because it is the end of childhood and the beginning of a pretty great life to come.

This tongue-in-cheek list was inspired by Brad Paisley's song "Letter to me", in which a letter is written to the younger version of the speaker's self. Want to join in on Thursday Thirteen?

So, what would you tell your teenage self?