advice for young me

The latest topic:
If I could go back in time, what 3 things would I tell my younger self?

1. To the 14-16 year-old me:  Let your hair down sometimes!  These years are so fleeting, don't spend all your time stuck in a book!  Don't be so self-conscious!  Relax!  And especially to the 15-year-old: go to a psychiatrist and get on Paxil ASAP. One big reason you don't have many friends is because you have an imbalance of serotonin in your brain.  Get your neurotransmitters set straight and make yourself available to other kids your age.  Go to parties and have fun. Don't stress.  Laugh more.

2. To my 17-19 year-old self:  Quit band for high school.  Yeah, it's fun to play instruments and the band kids are cool, but you're not going to need musical skills in your adult life.  You can still go to the football games if you really want to.  With the electives you've just freed up, get a start on your future by going to Vo-tech.  Learn a trade.  This can be your backup plan in case you do something dumb like drop out of college or get married to a strange guy you met on the internet . . .

3. Do not get your wisdom teeth taken out!!!!! I cannot stress this enough.  Whatever damage they do to your pretty post-braces teeth is nothing compared to the horrible agony and years of suffering and surgeries that will befall you if you have them taken out.

Huh.  I want to add a piece of bonus advise to my 19-year-old self:  Do not listen to your parents about college.  They just want you to stay home.  Pick a college far enough away that you have to live in a dorm, and get student loans.  Also, do not drop out.  Finish your degree.