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Original poster

What would your younger self make of you now?

131 replies

VladmirsPoutine · 10/03/2020 16:23

I came across a similar thread on Twitter and thought it would be interesting on MN.

What would your younger self think of you today. Let's say your late teenage years / early 20s girl make of what your life looks like now?

My teenage self would be very impressed - I did most of the things I had considered. I am probably a lot more boring than I would have anticipated but in terms of career I did end up working in my dream job and travelling to the countries I wanted to live in. I also randomly got into Oxford which my sisters had a bet on. I don't have kids or a husband which I thought I would but whatever.

OP posts:

squashyhat · 12/03/2020 10:35

Pleased I stuck to my 'no children' policy but disappointed with me career-wise and sorry for my chronic and intractable health problems

DisgraceToTheYChromosome · 12/03/2020 11:02

"Damn, you're fat and broken. That's an amazing family you have though."

Everythingpeachy · 12/03/2020 11:07

My 20 year old self would be unsurprised that I’d had a relationship with a violent man, because even in my 20s I used to say, ‘I’m sure I’ll end up dead down a ginnel on the Six O’ Clock News one day’ ; I was that gullible and green about people.

I still was in my 30s, 40s and only half less so now in my 50s. I’ve only just learnt to recognise red flags in people’s behaviour, and it’s like wearing x-ray specs for the first time.

Mostly she’d be horrified that 90% of my wider family have exiled me, all because my sister turned out to be a narcissist who created social media hate campaigns, whose appalling dishonesty created such chinese whispers that have left me defenceless.
We’d reconnected as adults after a decade of absence when I left my DV ex, only for her to exploit my vulnerable situation financially and otherwise, and when I started to voice concern about her to family, she retaliated.

But mostly I guess she’d be glad I’ve found real happiness in my children, marriage and that I still plan to continue travelling once the kids have left home.

puds11 · 12/03/2020 11:09

My younger me never thought there would be an older me so I guess she’d be pretty suprised and impressed with what I’ve overcome and achieved. I have my dream job, man and children. I live a pretty charmed life now. I never thought it wouldn’t be a struggle. The struggle I have now is believing it is real.

(I’m not super rich or anything, it’s just I can now afford the stuff at the supermarket I used to put back. That was always a dream to buy it)

Spudlet · 12/03/2020 11:34

Oooh, I thought of something else... younger me would quite likely pass out with shock that over Christmas, not only did I voluntarily go for a run along part of the dreaded school cross-country course - I actually enjoyed it. Even the wet and muddy bits. Especially the wet and muddy bits 😱

She’d be demanding a DNA test to make sure we were actually the same person

RedRec · 12/03/2020 13:35

@Spudlet

'She’d be demanding a DNA test to make sure we were actually the same person'

WhentheRabbitsWentWild · 12/03/2020 22:17

Not a lot

damnitnotlistening · 12/03/2020 22:33

My late teen self would be disappointed I didn't get taller. She'd be gutted I still get spots.
She would love that I've been with my husband 32 years!!!
She'd love that I have fabulous daughters.
She'd be pleased with my career but disappointed I wasn't very ambitious.

LadyEloise · 17/06/2020 09:24

She'd wonder how she got so plump.

Raella50 · 17/06/2020 09:28

I love this thread! I never dreamt I’d have a career, family and home as wonderful as this. My teenage self would have been so happy if I’d known I would end up in this life.

Ughmaybenot · 17/06/2020 09:31

She’d be happy. 18 year old me was interested in drinking, dancing, pulling blokes and generally being the best young farmer with the worst reputation (or vice versa, depends how you look at it!) but I always knew I wanted to get married and go for the settled family life. I had that unsuitable ‘learn a lot’ relationship after the steady ‘first love’ relationship of my teens and then I met my fantastic husband and life has been pretty fantastic since. We’re trying for a baby, albeit a little later than younger me might’ve expected and we’re running two successful businesses together.
I think I’d also be happy that my chronic illnesses haven’t actually affected me as badly as they thought they might by this age. They’re bad but my life is still very happy, and my husband is so understanding.

MrsTumbletap · 17/06/2020 09:34

She would be proud.

Coming from a poor family I was the first person to get a degree. I funded myself through everything by working two jobs, sometimes three.

I was emabarrassed at 17 driving my rusty crappy £400 car, but I saved for it with my wages and it got me to uni everyday.

She would think I need to lose a stone though.....

BlindAssassin1 · 17/06/2020 09:48

She'd be shocked a man actually wants to have an actual relationship with me, and have kids! And she'd be pleased with the way 'we' look now, sorted out hair and skin and can dress a bit better.

However, she'd be so mortified with the house, money and shitty job she probably wouldn't carry on living if she knew that's what she had to look forward to.

spikyplants · 17/06/2020 09:53

She'd be sad that I didn't turn out to be the sort of person she could look up to. She always wanted a mentor to help her get on in life - in the 90s we were told we could have the career, the travel, the man (if we wanted them), and that the previous generation of women who kicked at the glass ceiling would give counsel and a leg up. She was full of optimism that with the right attitude, work ethic, etc. she'd become one of these mentors over time.

Except "stuff" got in the way along the line and none of this ever happened. So I failed her.

nobodysdaughter · 17/06/2020 10:05

She'd be AMAZED I was still alive in my 40s. I was really wild when I was younger.
She'd also think I was boring and a "sell out", but be pleased I was still an artist - she'd LOVE my new work.

Ifancyabacontoastedsarnie · 17/06/2020 10:15

she would think omg what a nightmare and go do the complete opposite... in the hopes of things turning out differently

Foxyloxy1plus1 · 17/06/2020 10:24

She would be impressed with the way my career went.
She would be saddened by the anxious depressed person I am now.

palahniukslaughter · 17/06/2020 10:33

She would be impressed that I'm where I've got to in my career, but highly annoyed at how plagued with self doubt I am. And she'd think I was so bloody sensitive about everything. She'd be impressed that I kicked ex out, and that I havent been pressured to just "settle" in order to have kids, but annoyed it took me so long to realise that was okay. She'd also be very happy at how much I've travelled and the often wild life experiences I've had along the way, but also slightly puzzled that I've given up the city lifestyle to come back to my safe hometown to live in a semi detached in a cul de sac much earlier than she would have envisaged. She'd be extremely pleased to see her friendships have endured, and that she got to th3 age she did having still got her immediate family.

YourHandInMyHand · 17/06/2020 10:34

I think she'd feel a bit sad for me. I know I do as my current self!

No degree, no "professional" job. Currently my self employed job is down the pan due to lockdown and will be affected for a good long while. Not married. Very overweight and frumpy. Constantly exhausted and struggling with my mental health, and doing a half baked job of everything.

I've been in an abusive situation that I left with just my ds, clothes and toys, built back up again from that.

Been a carer to ds who is now 15 and still can't be left alone, he has sen. Then had another ds so have two kiddies with a 15yr age gap between them. I love them to bits but ds2 has finished me off. Body is wrecked and my exhaustion levels are off the chart.

I've come to accept I'll always be borderline poor and tired and not have time for myself.

If I knew this age 19,20 I wonder what I'd do. It wouldn't really be a nice glimpse into the future would it.

Iwalkinmyclothing · 17/06/2020 10:46

She'd laugh at the fact that I fell in love and have been with the same man for over 16 years. She'd laugh at me having DC. She'd approve of me going back to uni in my 30s and getting the qualifications and job I do now. She'd wonder when I stopped doing exactly what I like with my appearance and why my hair is no longer ever changing colours and where most of my piercings are gone. She'd mostly be amazed I didn't complete suicide, tbh. Overall she'd be pretty ok with how things went although a bit dismayed at the fat loose belly and lack of financial security.

SurreyHillsGirl · 17/06/2020 10:48

I think she would be really proud and impressed and she would absolutely LOVE my two dogs

SurreyHillsGirl · 17/06/2020 10:48

as its a pretty boastful statement

SurreyHillsGirl · 17/06/2020 10:49

Oh but she might think I was VERY boring now

PuddleglumtheMarshWiggle · 17/06/2020 10:53

Teenage me was shy with low self-esteem and very few ambitions. She'd be surprised that current me has more self-confidence, doesn't care "what other people think" She'd be surprised at the ease with which I can manage a responsible job and not get flustered, how I can still be shy but know how to manage people in a work situation. Also how I manage to work and bring up 2 children and have a better house than I ever dreamed of. That I could take the risk of adventurous sports such as skiing, canoeing and jumping off cliffs into the sea.
She'd also look at current me and wonder when I got fat and grey and looked exactly like granny!

Rebelwithallthecause · 17/06/2020 10:55

She’d be proud id left the arsehole

She’d be surprised and a little disappointed I moved away and live in a town rather than the countryside

She’d be pleased I was finally able to have children

She’d be glad I have such adoring lovely and gorgeous husband

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