What would your 16 year old self think

[ChandelierSail]

About how your life has turned out?

Would she/he be disappointed or pleased?

I haven't achieved everything I wanted to but I've nearly got there so all in all I think my 16 year old self would be pleased.

What about you?

Career wise that is.

I think in her more sensible moments, she'd be pleased. Miffed at the lack of big house and glamorous career (but I'm not done yet). I think she'd be pleased with the husband, the degree, and the children.

She’d nod sagely at my career choice as I’ve had these skills all along. Just took a roundabout way to get there.

She’d be delighted at all the USA road trips as I was fascinated since I could read, about America, and my first visit is still five years away.

She’d be slightly amazed at my confidence.

She’d be disappointed I never did magically become a makeup and shoes wearing glamourous person, although she’d be pleased I managed to at least start to wear clothes that aren’t men’s 3 sizes too big

She’d be heartbroken we had to celebrate DF’s birthday this weekend by visiting his grave.

She'd be genuinely shocked I'm not with the guy I was with then.

She'd be surprised that I ended up having dd as "late" as I did (28 😂) as I thought I'd be a young mum - and then saddened at all I had to go through for that and that I couldn't have the big family I wanted.

She'd wonder wtf I ever saw in ex husband!

She'd be heartbroken that my health is so poor and I basically have no life I'm just existing (housebound due to mh issues).

She'd be angry at the lack of support from my family.

She'd also be shocked how fat I am (I was very very slim as a teen and never thought I'd gain weight).

She'd be proud I'm still veggie though.

Horrified at the job I'm in. (Same as DF). Disappointed not to be famous! Sad that I'd not seen the world and shocked that I had two DC.

Happy to have moved to England and happy generally with the quality of life. She would wonder why I'm not quite so stroppy and opinionated. Perhaps think I was quite dull.

She'd be impressed I'm still alive.
Even more so that I have a kid that I'm raising quite well. She'd be horrified it's a girl instead of a boy though.
I think she'd be ok with my life in general.

To be honest at 16 all I wanted was to be a sahm 😮 I think she would be shocked that I am a primary school teacher (not something in my plans at all!!) and that I didn’t enjoy being a sahm after all 😂😂
Probably somewhat smug that she was right that I would marry an older man but somewhat disappointed that said man isn’t one of Westlife 🤣🤣🤣🙈🙈

Slightly disappointed in my circumstances, but delighted and surprised at my children, especially as 16 year old me never thought that would happen.

DH would be a complete surprise too. Not what 16 year old me would find attractive in any way but a big improvement on that idiot I was besotted with at that age.

Really pleased. Sad about the lack of the dog but happy and surprised about everything else.

I was a podgy, super uncool teen who went red all the time and wore shit clothes. Now I have a kind, funny and handsome DH, amazing children, a lovely house and a job I love. And fab friends I don't see enough of.

I've found the confidence, lost the weight and turned into someone a hell of a lot 'cooler' than I'd ever have imagined!

She’d be that I had managed to find not one but two men to marry me as she thought she was ugly and would never get a boyfriend. She’d be happy with where I was living as she dreamed of living here. She’d be happy I had a dog as she always wanted one. She’d be absolutely 😲😲😲 that i had children as she never thought that was in her future. She’d be happy I had gone NC with my parents as she never remembers anything but thinking they didn’t like or care about her. She’d be amazed at the travelling I have done as she never imagined that.

She'd be very surprised that I have a very settled life and found a good man.
She'd be unsurprised that my parents divorced and that my Mum is actually a nice and loving person.
Overall I think she'd be happy with where I am and that I made it despite the awful year she'd been through, rape and suicide attempt.

Very happy about the DC but appalled about the volume of domestic and parenting drudgery.

Unimpressed about living in the home counties. Impressed with location and idea of job, but not the dull meetings or relative lack of hot men.

Surprised that group fitness can be fun!

Similar to Littlechocola

I was always planning to have a crowd of children eventually, and have, but I very definitely did not want to get married, I was going to be completely self sufficient and independent in absolutely every way. I did do a lot of adventuring, travel and independent living but have also done a lot of conventional, boring things, like get married before having children... My 16 year old self would not believe where I've ended up living for various reasons, it's the last place my 16 year old self would have thought about living.

I never had fixed ideas really, but I would have expected to be less average and domestic

Massively surprised. Never expected to do the marriage & kids thing.

She would be pleased that I am settled, own my own home, have a good job (nothing like what I wanted to do), happy relationship, expecting my first child and an adorable dog.
Annoyed that I let stress get to me.
As a teenager I refused to get stressed and would disappear into books to escape it, 12 years later I'm not so good at shutting stress out anymore (everyone tells me it's because I'm hormonal)

Possibly slightly shocked, but then again maybe not. Maybe she'd think that I finally did the things I wanted to do and didn't worry about other people.

She'd be quite pleased I think, but not very surprised. Most of it (marriage, kids, career) is not that far away from what I'd have expected at 16.

She would think I'm posh.
That I let myself down by not having a career.
But I think she would understand why and why I chose to be a stay at home mum and put everything into my four kids and creating a home for them to stop them ever feeling like she is now

Oh and she would be shocked that I've stopped raving and taking shed loads of E's, at 16 I swore I would be doing it til I died

She’d be really fucking furious with me.

At 16, I had a place at a prestigious dance college and was looking forward to becoming a famous west end star.

By 17 I’d dropped out, and I’m now fat in a decent job that I don’t hate.

TBH while I’m happy in the main, I’m furious with myself. I squandered some really amazing opportunities. Youth is wasted on the young.

Great question! I often wonder this myself.
She wouldn't recognise herself and would wonder where the confidence, bordering on arrogance went. She'd be shocked how badly treated I'd been by men, she would have bullied them mercilessly and made them pay if they'd tried to treat her that way, mind you, she thought there was and endless supply and didn't appreciate the good ones.
She'd be horrified to see what dark places I've been in and wouldn't have thought it possible, she always thought she was free and wouldn't understand how constrained things can feel as you grow up.
She'd be flabbergasted that I managed to pass my driving test. I also think she'd be green with envy to see the contents of my wardrobe and that I can choose to eat whatever foods I want and don't have to tell people when I'm going out and coming home.

She always thought that whatever she did, things would work out somehow. In a very very long and roundabout way (with a lot of pain and unpleasant things involved), I guess they have, so I suppose she was right!

He would be amazed I made it out of my home town, but everything else would be a disappointment

She would approve that I live in London, would be surprised at my career but glad I've been successful. She would be amazed that I had a child but angry that I became a single mum considering how hard I tried to avoid that fate. She would approve of the travelling I've done and that I was never financially dependent on anyone.

Hmm. Seriosuly mixed!! I feel like lots was so black and white at that age.
She'd be horrified that a "friend" who made her feel really grown up was actually doing her a whole load of harm, and would be disgusted by it.
She'd be amazed that her and my mum now have a good relationship (too many teenage rows!).
She would think it was really embarrassing I'd had a mental health breakdown.
She'd be delighted that I play either raving cars most weekends, but disappointed that I hadn't made a go of it with Eddie Irvine!!
She wouldn't be at all surprised that I fancy an older man with a fast car, but would be astounded that I love him because he's the most caring and gentle soul.
She'd be proud that she's not terrified of everyone any more and can actually be proud of my achievements.
She'd love that Vez is still a bestest friend.
She'd pretend to look horrified at the dog, camping holidays and enjoy long walks followed by too many ciders but secretly be impressed that I was enjoying them freely!

Overall, she'd be so fucking relieved that the daily feeling of terror was something that medication and therapy would help her deal with. She'd be a bit less impressed that it took her 2 decades!

She’d be chuffed, especially as I was a goody two shoes at 16 and was quite wild in my 20’s that I travelled loads, had fun along the way.