Since I am on the road 6 days of the week, I get the opportunity to listen to some great tunes as I cruise down the highways and byways of northwest Iowa. This past week as I was driving from Harlan to Odebolt, I heard a new song by Brad Paisley called “Letter To Me.” It is about writing a letter back to yourself at the age of seventeen and talking about how even though sometimes everything doesn’t seem to be going your way, things turn out well in the end.
This made me think, and also buy Brad’s newest CD “5th Gear”. I thought about me at seventeen. I was a junior at Harlan Community High School. I loved to play golf, was in the band, studied hard, and hung out with a great group of friends. Then I thought a little more. When I was seventeen, I would have never imagined that I would be where I am today. I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I was good at a lot of things, but I didn’t have a passion for any 1 thing.
The song talks about doing things right, but also about sticking your neck out and doing something that you may not have done “back in the day” as it would help in the future. He even has a line in there about taking a Spanish class in high school. I think a lot of prospective students dislike their foreign language courses, but in hindsight, they really do help.
My letter to myself would include a lot of things that I am glad that I did. I am glad that I attended Simpson. I am glad that I took the opportunity to break out of my shell and give tours to prospective families as an ambassador. Heck, this was a life changer as one, it helped me learn not to be so darn shy, and two, it led me to my career.
In my letter I would also talk about not worrying about that date that went bad, or the girl that said “no” when you asked for a dance. Why not worry about it, because those rejections led to me meeting my fiancée and starting a wonderful life together. It is hard to see the future, or the bright side of a current bad situation, but if you just try to focus on the positive aspects of life, you will definitely end up with a lot of great stories to put in that letter about your current life.
Just look at me now…I have a wonderful fiancée, have the best family anyone could ask for, have the cutest dog that brings a smile to my face daily, and a job that I go to each and every day because I enjoy it! Don’t let the hard times get you down. Rise to the occasion and start making some of the stories that you can write about in your letter to yourself!
Brad Paisley really puts things into perspective with this song. Take a listen sometime and take it in.
GO STORM!
Andy
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