Watch Me Entertain Myself!

Sacha Guitry once said, "You can pretend to be serious, but you can't pretend to be witty." Oh yes, I'm the great pretender.
(pilot episode: 20 January 2004)

Thursday, November 20, 2008

If You Could Travel Back In Time

One night I received this text message from Chronicles of E: “If you had a chance to go back in the past and talk to yourself when you were 8 years old, then 16 years old, what will you tell yourself?”

To my 8-year-old me: Relax. Stop comparing yourself to your older brother. You are not him; you are you. Take up theater earlier. And sexual orientation is not a choice.

To my 16-year-old me: Relax. So what if you’re gay? You don’t have to tell your parents if you feel you can’t. Oh, and stop falling for those straights, okay? Get over them—now. The earlier you start seeing other gay men like you, the better.

There! The shorter the message, the less said, the better—if only to prevent a major disruption in the space/time continuum.

So what will you say to you?

19 comments:

Tristan Tan said...

I like this concept. Here's mine.

@8 - stop eating.

@16 - I told you to stop eating! Use sunblock.

enegue said...

me to my 8 year old self: life is rough, don't be too emotional with things, they'll bring you down in times of crisis

me to my 16 year old self: be careful in what you wish for. falling in love is not all that grand. get over your 'happy ever after thoughts'

ps: to my 23 y/o self: the guy you're with now, the one you blessedly call 'the one', will break your heart big time. more than the first, the second, the third and the fourth ex. so please, be careful

Anonymous said...

Let me try...

@8: Don't make a handkerchief bra this period or else teacher will tie your hands with your handkerchief... *LOL*

@16: Don't let him go even if your bestfriend is begging you. He loves you, not her.

Nyek. looking at the messages to myself, it's funny to see how times have changed... I went from a "hanky"-panky kid to an idiotic high schooler. I wanted to say a "self-sacrificing and a good friend" but right now, all I can think of is how stupid I was. :D

E said...

ok so that's why you didn't reply to that text msg hehehehe

Dali the more comments! The more I can learn more about other people hehehehe

joelmcvie said...

@E: Sa totoo lang, I remember reading your message one morning and deciding, "I'll think about it first before answering." Then I just complete forgot all about it, hahaha! Buti na lang I was looking for an old text message from someone else when I saw again your SMS in my inbox.

E said...

A friend told me that at the age of 8, thats when the kid is starting to get a sense of uuhh..personality and Identity and by the age of 16, that will mold a persons basic structure...so that means, 8 and 16 are the turning points in our lives that made us who we are today.....

P.S.

walang nagreply sakin sa text na yun

joelmcvie said...

@E: Kasi naman! Feeling ko kulang ang isang text message lang para sagutin yang tanong mo, hahaha. Pang Miss U kasi yang tanong mo eh. =)

jamie da vinci! said...

@8. you are not dumb, nor are you good for nothing. you just have a very different way of seeing the world. so what if you suck at class, and have no friends, and is constantly living in your over-achieving elder brother's shadow? ur time will come. be patient. also, stop trying to make ppl like you. you'll just end up as a doormat.

@16. told you you're not dumb. ok, despite what everyone is saying, try to find a way to get urself living in a dorm or somewhere FAR away from home. trust me, it will be good for you. also, learn to cut urself some slack. failing does not mean the end of the world.

... said...

@8: gaga, 'wag kang maglaro dyan sa kapitbahay na may asong ulol.

@16: gurl, 'wag masyadong pa-gurl. rahman is making the first move. isunod mo agad si louie. go!

Hahaha!
fact: @8: ayun, nakagat din ng aso.
@16: up to now i still regret not being able to 'color' with my crushes. LOL

joelmcvie said...

@MEL: Being able to "color" with your crushes? Hmmm, na-intriga naman ako. Ano kaya yung pagko-color? Kung 8 years old ka, na-iimagine ko na share kayo sa crayons and coloring book. But at 16 years old? Hmmmm!

Anonymous said...

it's funny, i had my first crush when i was 8 (with a boy of course), then my biggest crush at 15. this survey is amazing. :-)

... said...

sir joel, to 'color' is to 'have sex'. Hihi. it was in the sex and the city movie that the term 'to color' was used to substitute 'having sex' kasi nakikinig ang anak ni charlotte sa usapan nila.

joelmcvie said...

@MEL: Obviously I'm not a regular viewer of SATC.

Unknown said...

ako din..
@8: mag-aral kang mabuti para di ka mawala sa top 1.

@16: mag-aral kang mabuti at tapusin mo yang thesis mo para maka graduate ka! naku!

Anonymous said...

to the 8-year old me: in a year's time, you'll be jackin' off. enjoy.
to the 16-year old me: in a year's time, you'll be dating. you've been practicing 8 years now so put it to good use.

Ming Meows said...

at 8: sana may marami ka pang ginawa kaysa manood ng tv

at 16: sana hindi mo tinanggihan ang scholarship sa UP. ang tanga mo!

Anonymous said...

Hahaha, i love it! At papatulan ko 'to!

@8: Studious ka lang? Hija, hindi.
Bakla ka.
@16: Sabi ko sa'yo eh, hinid ka studious. Bakla ka. Naku, ayan late bloomer ka na. Cramming na 'to. By the time you're 30, in love ka pa rin sa diretso. Award ka!

Hahaha.

joelmcvie said...

@JC: At least nung 16 umamin ka na sa sarili mo; ako later pa. And like you, by the time I was 30 I still was falling for straights, hahaha.

blow_up said...

8yo: hay,gusto ko nang lumaki...
16yo: aay,gusto ko ng lalaki.....