Ya know, I have the greatest job in the world. Seriously. I get to work at home with iTunes blaring through my speakers, windows open, no shoes and I get to sit and draw cartoons, write and build web sites all day long. EVERY DAY! And if that is not awesome enough, I get 2-3 deliveries a week from UPS and FedEx with the best gifts ever – books! People send me books to review non-stop and I love it. Especially when I receive real treasures like this one:
If I’d Known Then: Women in Their 20s and 30s Write Letters to Their Younger Selves (edited by Ellyn Spragins) is a fantastic collection of letters from some astonishing women who describe themselves as they were in their youth and offer advice and encouragement. I wasn’t sure at first if I would like this type of book or not. I don’t like novels and personal stuff, I much prefer self-help and psychology as my standard reading material. As fate would have it, I flipped it open to page 49 where I find fellow geek Catarina Fake (cofounder of Flickr) recounting her kindergarten troubles and I could immediately relate!
Catarina goes on to tell her rebellious child:
Hey Kid,
Listen. You’re pretty smart. An optomistic, cocksure smarty-pants. A firecracker and a prodigy. But guess what? You’re eleven years old, and you just haven’t seen much of the world. Take it from me, there’s a lot you don’t know yet, and I’m here to pass on some hard-won wisdom got by living life with its concomitant hard knocks.
Why should you listen to me? I’m not some “authority figure” you will feel compelled to resist, since authority-resisting is your particular area of expertise. “Yeah, yeah,” you say, waving your hand, rolling your eyes. “Pfft. Whatever with you.” But listen, the reason you should listen to me is, I’m you. You. Got it? Good….
I won’t spoil the rest of the letter here. You really must get a copy of this book! Each personal story and letter is well-constructed and sincere and contains valuable insights for girls of all ages. Contributers include:
- Jessica Alba, Actress
- Magali Amadei, Actress
- Natasha Bedingfield. Singer/Songwriter
- Sara Blakely, Founder of Spanx
- Amanda Borden, Olympic Gymnast
- Emily Brydon, Olympic Skier
- Rebecca Budig, Actress
- Sasha Cohen, Olympic Skater
- Misty Copeland, Dancer, American Ballet Theatre
- Hope Edelman, Author
- Catarina Fake, Founder of Flickr
- Julie Foudy, World Cup and Olympic Soccer Player
- Bethany Hamilton, Professional Surfer
- Mya Harrison, Singer/Songwriter
- Maureen Kelly, Founder of tarte cosmetics
- Vida Zaher Khadem, Filmmaker/Painter
- Monique King-Viehland, Executive Director, CCRC, New Jersey state Government
- Sonya Kitchell, Singer/Songwriter
- Mindy Lam, Founder of Mindy Lam Fine Crystal Jewelry
- Dylan Lauren, Founder of Dylan’s Candy Bar
- Dany Levy, Founder of DailyCandy
- Lisa Loeb, Singer/Songwriter/Actress
- Megan McCafferty, Author
- Danica McKellar, Actress/Math Whiz/Author
- Tara McPherson, Artist
- Aimee Mullins, Paralympic Athlete/Model/Actress
- Mary Osborne, Professional Surfer
- Sabina Louise Pierce, Photographer
- Atoosa Rubenstein, Founder of Alpha Kitty
- Zainab Salbi, Founder of Women for Women International
- Ariel Schrag, Comic Book Artist
- Plum Skyes, Author
- Ashley Warlick, Author
- Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Actress
- Elisabeth Withers, Singer/Actress
