Dear 40-Year-Old Me: LGBT Students Address Their Older Selves In llinois Safe Schools Alliance Video I was so inspired by this I decided to write my own letter to myself, aged 40. Dear 40 year old me: Right now, I'm writing this in the middle of your exam season in the second year of your undergrad degree. Remember that time, when you were obsessed with Shakespeare, English literature and wanted to go to lit lectures with that crazy woman and loved every minute of it? When all you wanted to do was go to the London theatre, set your overdraft to insane limits, hang out with friends and generally not do work like your mum said? xD I hope that there's still a bit of that in you. I hope that you've come out with a decent degree, have done your masters, have bought a swish London apartment and have done what you always wanted to do. To be a writer and be famous. It doesn't matter if you're there yet, even at 40. You can make it happen, I promise. Look back at your 20 year old self. Imagine I'm speaking to you right now. Think, God, what a fool I was then! I'm 40 now, man! I know what I need to do. And I'm gonna do it this time! I hope that you've found peace with your dad. Talk to him sometime. He might show the leadership of a father you never knew he had. Talk to your grandad too. And your mum. Visit her once in a while. Keep talking to Adam, James, Edward, Rosina, Alex and countless other names I couldn't possibly list here. They're here for you. They're here for life. Catch up with them, for old time's sake. But most of all, I hope that you're happy. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. Not even your mum. Don't listen to her nagging on about your eczema, your glasses, the way you walk like your dad. That is what makes you you. That is what makes you unlike anyone else you know and anyone else I know. Embrace it. It's part of your individuality. And somewhere out there, someone knows about exactly everything your mum knows about, and doesn't give a flying fuck. And he doesn't see any of it as bad. He loves you for who you are. He loves you in spite of all that shit. That to me is true love. It sounds fucking awesome and it sounds too good to even be possible, but yes, true love exists, and it lives inside someone whom I am certain exists too. I haven't met him yet, but by now I hope you have. If you haven't yet at 40, you will. I promise you this! I know you'd kill for that to happen and believe me, it's gonna happen. And I'm trying to make it happen now, but if nothing's succeeded in 20 years, that's what life's decided. It's cool. Have no regrets. This is the hardest thing to do, but believe me, this is how life has worked out for you and accept it. Don't linger on the 'what ifs'. Look to the future. Make it bright. Make it real. Make it truly amazing. Let's go for coffee sometime. Oh yeah, you never liked coffee did you! Okay, we'll make it tea in London. Let's go and see a play. I wanna hear what you've been up to man! I love you man. Your greatest companion, Yourself. Aged 20 years and 1 month.
