If you could travel back to the pivotal experiences in your life and change your actions/decisions, would you?

In one sense, I would do it in a heartbeat.  If I could take who I am today and have a do-over of high school and college I think it would make an enormous difference in my relationships, experiences and possibly even my life’s path.  I want to tell the Katie from my past that being seen as attractive and desirable is overrated, that being comfortable in her own skin is the most attractive thing of all.  I’d let her know that if she spoke up and let her voice be heard that the people who REALLY mattered would listen.  I’d tell her that she was not an expert…on anything, although she thought she was…on everything.  I’d tell her to cut negative people out of her life, that loyalty doesn’t mean anything when those people are saying horrible things behind her back.  She’d know that she could stand up and stop the nasty, untrue rumors rather than feeling pummeled by them day after day.  I’d make sure she knew that confidence and feeling self assured would become the cornerstone of her life.

I would go back and replace my overreactive flair for the dramatic and replace it with my current sense of calm and desire for reason.

Back then I did nothing with my knack for art and creativity and did my best to follow the Abercrombie wearing pack.  I’d, uh, do something about that.  Maybe double major in writing and fine arts. I’d for sure let myself be the wacky ball of quirkiness I am today.

I would tell that young Katie that she was fantastic. Body, mind and soul. And that she shouldn’t let anyone convince her otherwise.

But, I can’t go back in time. I drive a Lexus and the doors open outward, not upward and it has navigation, not a flux capacitor.  And all of those mistakes, missteps and lapses of confidence have made me who I am today.  Some of those decisions that I look back on and cringe with shame were stepping stones to my life today…a life that I adore.  The way I see it, the next best thing to time travel is my role as a parent.  I can take all those lessons that I learned and teach them to my daughter.  I hope that as she starts to pave her path through life that her stepping stones are those of confidence and assuredness. I want her to be proud of the books she reads, the sports she plays and the person she is – and will be.  I know that she will encounter her own brand of not so friendly friends and the temptation to be like everyone else.  Its possible that having a crazy artist mom will turn her into a type-A, organizational, left-brained opposite of me.  And that’s okay…as long as she owns it and loves who she is.

She can express herself however she needs to – grunge, goth, preppy, quirky, nerdy, sporty – I don’t care. But I’m never letting her out of the house in some of those outfits I used to wear!  And she’s not dating till she’s 30.

Other than that, the world is her oyster.