If your old MW self...

Hopefully he'd recognise and appreciate my personal growth, and I'd say: "the time is now."

And he'd also see the harsher lessons learned from my behaviour, and I'd say: "take a chance."

Old self: "Seriously? This is who you are? I mean... why are we still alive? I get the whole going as far away as you can part, but you are MARRIED? Seriously? Wipe that goddamned smile of your face before I slug you!"

Now self: "It's okay, and do me a favour? Let people help you instead of yelling at them. Let people love you instead of pushing them away. And give your mum a hug. She just worries and has problems expressing it. Things will be fine. And you WILL be happy. And spend more time with your great grandfather. You will miss him when he is gone."

They would be amazed at how mellow I am, and I'd say to them, you're going to go through some rough stuff but you can handle it; it will make you a better person.

I joined MW 10 years ago when I was a teenager. My old self would never have believed that I'd be where I am today- married with a baby- considering she was still five years away from her first real date.

I'd tell her to relax and enjoy the ride, don't be so afraid of life. Then again, if she took any advice I gave her, my life wouldn't turn out the same, and who knows where I'd be now...

The old MW me wouldn't recognize me. I think I had joined MW in the midst of my bout of mental breakdown - either that, or I was on the journey to recovery. The old me was afraid to do anything, leave the house. Go to school. The fact I've now done two moves, and gone overseas twice shows how strong I can be when I put my mind to it. The best advice I could give my old self is PERSEVERE.

The old MW Flaire would be disappointed that 10 years later and the new Flaire still hasn't met up with her wifey.  

He probably would not recognize me in the least. I suspect we would also not get along that well. He might appreciate the answer to some questions I have since discovered. However, he would likely be disappointed that some still confound me.

Like love. Back then, I was thinking I would fall in love some day. I was not quite certain of the details or semantics of it, but I was fairly certain it would happen. It hasn't. And it most assuredly never will. So my answer to that question has become: Japan is very real for many people. We might not have visited it, but facts tell us it is a very real and tangible thing that many people have seen and experienced it and continue to do so. I have never visited it though. I likely never will. It's real for others, just not for me. And while that is not some epiphany on how reality functions, the specific instance - love - in my case, kind of was some years ago.

He would be glad he got to meet Kadynas from MW. He might be surprised that his faith started in his childhood and it took him a lot of waking up to realize it was there all along and as obvious as I was oblivious. He would be very surprised that he actually quit a 2 pack a day smoking habit after swearing I never would and that it was a completely effortless endeavor. He wouldn't be surprised to learn that it didn't take seeing most of the U.S. to realize it's not that great as far as atmosphere and scenery goes. He might wonder where my severe coffee habit came from.

And he would be terrible upset that I have yet to meet my ZE FLAIRE. Or Jess. Or X.

My past person would just sit there looking like it has lost something. That or it would try and kill me.

That's a tough one. I was Sage Rainsong on MW back then. I believe I joined late 2003 early 2004. I actually kind of hate the name now even though it was a metaphor and I never used it in RL. I have gotten older and a little wiser. I struggle with anxiety less than I did then so there is that. Hmm. I think I might be annoyed if I could talk to my younger MW self back when I joined. I would have told him to say yes to life a little bit more and be more open to new experiences. I was much more insecure and defensive but hey I was also in my early 20's.