17 again? Would you really?

A movie came out recently called 17 Again. The story is about a boy name Mike O’Donnell (played by Zac Efron) who goes back twenty years to relive his past. It got me thinking, would I really want to go back to when I was 17? Would I do anything different?

When I was 17, I was a senior in high school. I was dating a nice guy and had a lot of good friends. I suppose if I had to pick the best year of high school in where I actually was more me then putting on a fake facade, it would be when I was 17. However dealing with stupid high school rules, silly high school drama and taking my parents seriously as authority figures once again would just suck. Although it was a fun year of dances, parties, and just being a kid (even though I thought I was grown up), it was also a hard year. One of my closest friends Mom had died a little over a year ago (I thought she was an amazing woman) and her absence was still a constant reminder. Other then my Mom she made the most amazing brownies. I also did not know what I wanted to do with my life let alone where to go to college. I really believed that everyone else knew exactly what to do and I was the only one who didn’t. I was naive in thinking the world revolved around me and selfishly lashed out at people because I was jealous, insecure or just plain rude. I didn’t have it all together. Then again, what 17 year old does?

So would I do anything different if I went back in time? Probably. If I were to go back then, I would care less what other people thought, eat like a pig (because I never gained a damn ounce) and do more school activities. I would also probably tell some of my friends back then to take a hike, as a few were really pompous jerks and I have no idea why I hung out with them. I would remind myself that I was beautiful (because I was) and the girls that looked like they had it all together will be later serving you dinner at a local restaurant with tired eyes and are no longer as “hot”. I would save money for the future. I would find my now husband and watch him from afar just to remember what he was like in high school.

Then again, I wouldn’t really care to change most of it (except for the crappy friends and seeing my husband). I think the life lessons that I learned back then really helped me form the person I am today. I am stronger, wiser, and more aware of the world. My 17 year old self was ignorant of the world and to me that was okay. A 17 year old shouldn’t know what the world is really made of. Being 17 is that last stage of your childhood when you don’t have to figure out what the world really means. Those things like mortgages, screaming babies, and working as a cubicle rat 8-9 hours a day does not exist. To be 17 again? Maybe, but only as a short vacation. Long term though, I’ll take the world on as my old ass self.