Irony by Lydia

Irony by Lydia - September 2022 Scholarship Essay

I would tell my younger self something, but I know how stubborn I was, and still am. If anything, trying to give advice wizened with age will only make my past self ignore and work against my recommendations.
Even more, I don't think I would even be able to tell my past self something right now. I'm so young, and the best advice I can think of is "Don't drink that soda your brother will leave out in a couple of years" or "Anxiety sucks. Make sure to get more sleep so that doesn't happen." Not exactly the most life-changing thing that's been said before.
I know that I haven't been through much of anything yet, and so I don't think I currently have advice worth giving. I haven't moved out yet, had a full-time job, or even been in a relationship. If anything, the advice I would give to my younger self is the exact advice I'm telling myself now:
"Give it time. Time is the only thing the universe gives you for free, so don't worry about how little you have now. You'll get more later."
And with time comes experience. And with time comes answers. And with time is the slow, ever-changing march of my knowledge.
Ask me again in a few decades.