Dear Me A letter to My Sixteen-Year-Old Self Edited by Joseph Galliano Foreword by Sir Elton John

Impressive for sure this book I discovered  today at the second-hand store wanted by the charity Books for Dogs in Umbertide: Dear Me A letter to My Sixteen-Year-Old Self Edited by Joseph Galliano Foreword by Sir Elton John

published by Simon & Schuster years ago. I love the cover, I love the

originality of writing, and as always, I love these books by memories wanted so badly by Simon & Schuster.

Haven't you ever had, sometimes, the desire of hugging your little self?

In this lovely book absolutely vibrant a lot of known people, from Stephen Fry, to Annie Lennox, from Emma Thompson to Yoko Ono will tell something to their dear selves. This one is a book speaking at people's souls reminding them who we have been, who we are, what we became in the while.

Pretty diversified the approach chosen by the various protagonists for writing a letter to their selves. Some of them will wrote a typewriter-letter, other ones will be more  creative; color, fantasy, sketches, a good introduction, just few words, or wagons of words.

Some of them will remind to their selves of staying close to good people; other ones that, after all they will love a good pair of glasses in the future; that they will change the path of their existence, experiencing darkness as well; some mature selves will speak with more intimacy to their 16 year old selves; genre and sexuality, destinies, unsecurities, parents, diets, music, movies; someone as Stephen Fry anticipated this book, writing to his self a letter when he was a teen-ager in 1973.

Everyone will offer pictures, memories, sweet, tender, creative, for an unique portrait of their own...Self. The youngest and the oldest one.

I want to contribute with a letter to my Self.

Dear Me,

it won't be simple. You are an original soul, plenty of creativity, dreams, expectations. I wouldn't want to delude you, saying that resizing your world would be better; you wouldn't listen. I don't know if it's because of your sacred fire, or because you are stubborn or simply because you think that dreams are the engine for living well or because maybe you are a dream but you are like that and I wouldn't have the courage of stopping you.

I would want to be like that 16 years old girl after all, plenty of enthusiasm. I would want to hug you with all myself, telling you that it will be fine, although it will be complicated.

Stop to vomit because of tensions accumulated at school. Stay calm, please: too much tachicardia. It's not the case. You will made it, although now in that place, populated by sisters, you are feeling a lot of solitude and the sensation of being taken prisoner. Enjoy your schoolmates, the vision of beautiful movies, a big passion you love to cultivate. You met a different world when you went to the city for studying from your countryside. I know you miss that freedom and possibility of being you, but try to see the richness of meetings that you are doing and that will form, I am sure, your character.

I know that leaving french for english meant to you a big sacrifice. I know you loved to studying english in the intermediate school, thanks to that nice lady every Monday afternoon and I see you crying desperately now, because you don't have the pale idea of what James Joyce wants to say in The Doubliners. If it's a consolation, I donated your old english dictionary, destroyed by you, launched several times against the walls of your bedroom, recently. What a relief!

Trust me, you will learn a decent english. You can't believe it now.

English could be helpful, you want to open several doors thanks to the knowlege of another language, I know that just your world is too little for you, but please, be wise and careful.

Remember this, clearly and vividly: your errors will be committed because you don't have the entire picture of your life, but just the frame. Childhood has been confusing.

Remember this and remember that during your 17th year you won't be fine.

This and more will mean other causes of troubles.

Stay tranquil.

If you can, stay focused on yourself. Mmm... Speaking to a future journalist, yes, you'll become a reporter, is asking too much. You are projected outside although you have a big sensitivity.

I know that you are an altruistic soul, someone imaginative and plenty of fantasy but sometimes it would be necessary to stay focused.

On yourself.

Try to act with less naivety. I know that this one is a main treat of your character, an adorable one sometimes, but you can't trust the entire world.

Try to stay optimistic.

It will be hard, very hard sometimes.

Ok, done!

Highly recommended book.

Anna Maria Polidori