Letter To My 16yr Old Self

Hey Mark,

You wouldn’t believe it right now, but your life is going to pan out OK. Actually, I’d say better than OK. I know you’re fretting about going to college and whilst I’m tempted to say do that Art course, the business course is going to really help you anyway. Keep up with the music, however join a band, now! You’re going to regret it for the rest of your life if you don’t. You won’t have to stick with it, but even just a short stint will reward you. Infact start Jamming with Brett as soon as you can. Because shortly he’s going to get picked by a little known band called Kulashaker and travel the world.

When you leave college you’re going work for Clarks shoes. Don’t stay there past 12 months, you’re better than that, get out and leave your hometown before it traps you more than it already has. Head to Bristol, it’s a great place, no matter how scary it seems. Buy a house as soon as you can. Claiming you don’t earn enough is a poor excuse, no-one earns enough, but it’ll be the best thing you ever buy.

Keep skateboarding, it’ll be the thing that keeps you sane, physically fit and will take you all over the UK and America. You’ll even end up on Tony Hawks ramp and your girlfriend will love you for it.

Yes. Girlfriend. You won’t marry or have kids early. It doesn’t matter. You’ll meet an amazing person and you’ll be so glad you didn’t attend all those drunken parties like your mates are doing right now.

Buy a computer as soon as you can. You don’t know it, but your perfect job hasn’t been invented yet. It will bring a decent salary for a couple of decades, long enough to bank some cash and have a great time.

You’re a great photographer too, so getting your hands dirty with a SLR camera too and continue to document all your friends and travel. Try not to give away all your original photos. Make your mates pay or get copies done, because otherwise you’ll end up with lots of shots of yourself and none of your friends.

Mum and dad are going to keep trying to get you to go to Dawlish Warren in Devon for a number of years to come. Keep resisting going with them, there’s better holiday resorts on this planet, so let them down gently but continually. Scatter around some brochures of the Canary Islands.

Dad will not be giving you a cuddle, accept that now, yet still keep loving him and take an interest in his memories, draw them out. We both know he’s not a good talker, but once you get him going his eyes light up and he won’t shut up. Mother on the other hand needs shutting up. In fact, she needs a boost internally, get her on a college course, perhaps a reading group or business. Her lack of formal education has plagued her forever and you’re just the person to talk her into it. Whilst you’re there, get a design patent on her tobacco pouch with integrated Rizzla packet holder, you won’t become millionaires, but I reckon there’s a couple of hundred thousand pounds in it, once this thing called the Internet comes along and changes everything.

Talking of technology, you’re right not to buy a pager, they are a waste of time. However mobile phones, stupid though they appear to be, will stick around, so I recommend collecting those and maybe figuring them out with a set of micro screwdrivers. They will be big business in future.

You’ll always work, you’ll always do OK for money, never make a lot, but enough to have a decent life. Sadly the companies that employ you seem to have a habit of making you redundant, this is fine, but around 2006 you’ll waste your entire cash taking the whole summer off and watching a film called Hot Fuzz being made in your hometown. Whilst sounds like a good idea, skip it. Spend the money on setting yourself up as a consultant instead, you won’t regret it.

Lastly……. get your arm looked at as soon as you break it, and don’t give up seeing the Dr’s until it works properly again. Nothing else will really go wrong, in fact that’s probably an indication that you’re not taking enough chances in life. So go for it… lifes a blast and you won’t regret a thing!

Mark

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