100 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me Sooner:

Dear Friends;

The following list was inspired form a conversation that I had this weekend with my sister-in-law. She and I have each retreated to our respective computers to create our own lists. She with hers, me with mine, the resulting lists to be kept secret from each other until their completion and posting… (The better to compare and then giggle over… To see if there are any similarities…)

She of course finished hers first, I am racing along to catch up… (I really want to see what she posted… Actually I would love to see what you come up with… This could be fun…)

Some silly, some serious, some sad…
But well worth the time it took…


100 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me Sooner:

1. Coloring outside the lines is not only acceptable, but as an adult, it is called “being creative”.
2. Preheating the oven really does make a difference.
3. Asking for directions is a good thing, just be selective about who you ask.
4. Life is for taking risks and living, there is only one chance at it, and there are no do-overs.
5. Children without naps are cranky, adults are even more so.
6. You are never too old to ride the Ferris wheel, play with sidewalk chalk, build sandcastles, or blow bubbles.
7. The hound from hell will become your best friend if he is cold, hungry, or in need of having his ears scratched.
8. Genuine smiles make the eyes dance with joy and twinkle with happiness.
9. Sometimes a hug is enough.
10. Sometimes an apology is not.
11. Feeling that someone is “the one” does not mean it will last forever.
12. You cannot change “the one for now” into “the one for all time”.
13. Fire is hot, it burns. So does anything removed from the oven with bare hands.
14. Do not take the curling iron on a camping trip, it will only short out and leave an ugly mark on your arm.
15. If you choose to eat dessert, then you might as well enjoy it. The calories will stick to your tush either way.
16. Stop to smell the flowers, even if they have no scent. How else will you notice the ladybug in the center?
17. Asking the same question does not bring the answer any faster. Asking the same question at different times can bring different perspectives and sometimes change the answer.
18. Do not just drink from the cup, ask what it holds first.
19. Sometimes a taste is more than enough.
20. It does not matter who you sleep with, as long as you can sleep with yourself.
21. Bleach may remove the stain, but it also eats away the fibers in the fabric.
22. Most people aspire to perfection of themselves, they do not necessarily appreciate perceived perfection of others.
23. Sometimes when you win, you lose.
24. Sometimes when you lose, you win.
25. Sometimes it is easier to toss it all out and start over.
26. Real trust is just as rare as real love.
27. When you love someone, it does not mean that they love you back, or in the same way.
28. A water bottle marked with the words “monster spray” really can keep away nightmares from the closet or under the bed.
29. Portion sizes are sooo much smaller then you ever thought. Take your dinner plate and quarter it.
30. It really is okay if the food touches. It really does go into the same place.
31. In a world of pause, repeat, tivo, instant replay, record, and rewind, it really is okay to go to bed early and miss your favorite TV show. It will still be there waiting for you when you wake up. The same cannot be said for sleeping next to someone you love.
32. Football was better before instant replay, hockey was better after the censored pucks.
33. Tribe is much cooler than MySpace.
34. Traveling is grand but grand adventures can be found anywhere, even in your own backyard.
35. Pen pals are worth the effort.
36. Pictures may be worth a 1,000 words, but it is still nice to hear the words.
37. Home is where the heart is, it is not just the place that you live.
38. Holding the adapter box of your laptop’s power cord in your lap really helps to keep you warm.
39. Cell phones make great flashlights.
40. Sharks can not live in swimming pools, really. No... Really, promise.
41. There are some things that words cannot describe no matter how much you try. Sometimes you just have to jump out of the airplane yourself to know.
42. The book is inevitably better than the movie, but you will be more likely to see the movie after you have read the book, the same can not be said the other way around.
43. There is never enough time, it is okay to do just what you can and finish the rest later.
44. You do not have to be perfect. It is more important to have perfect intentions.
45. You do not have to be the best at everything.
46. Magic yellow kitchen gloves can help you touch, pick up and clean anything.
47. You only need a pint of water to have a bath and wash your hair if you are inventive with a bucket, pitcher and wash cloth.
48. Recycling is really important.
49. Carpooling is better for the environment, and it is also just plain fun.
50. The BART is like a ride at Disneyland.
51. It is better to park in the back of the lot and walk to the store than to keep circling around like a vehicle-vulture. It is faster in the long run and it helps to keep you thin.
52. Nothing may taste as good as thin feels, but sometimes you just have to have the brownie anyway.
53. You really can forget how to ride a bicycle.
54. It hurts less if you relax and breathe out while you are falling.
55. Your greatest weapon is your mind. It is up to you to train it hard, and only you can really train it.
56. There are lots of people that you might call friends and invite to a party, but there are far fewer you can call upon in the middle of the night to talk about some silly nightmare.
57. If you never drink the real stuff, the diet soda is totally do-able.
58. Freedom is a state of mind.
59. It important to ask questions. It is more important to know how to find the answers yourself.
60. Not everyone has a biological clock, sometimes it is just a switch.
61. Death always hurts. It never gets easier, and that is okay.
62. Sometimes the body outlasts the brain.
63. Some things are better left as a mystery.
64. The ride there is often as much fun as the destination.
65. Always keep spare eyeglasses in the glove box.
66. Always keep two pairs of pretty panties in the glove box, one of them a color that is not day-glow or glo-in-the-dark pink.
67. A “girl kit” stocked with all the things you wish you had in mini emergencies (tampax, pad, nail clippers, bobby pins, safety pins, condoms, comb, toothbrush, mouthwash, nail file, handy wipes, tissues, etc.) is your best friend, the best friend to your best friends, and the piece of connective kindness you can share with strangers.
68. If your Mother-in-Law loves you, life is enhanced. tenfold. If she hates you, multiply hell by ten and add one for the misery she can bring.
69. Lists are great if you use them, a waste of time if you don’t.
70. If you throw caution to the wind, be prepared for the wind to blow upwards unexpectedly, exposing things to those who happen to be nearby.
71. Only take photos that you are fine with you parents or children looking at. You never know who is posting thing on the Internet, or who is looking at it.
72. Be careful to protect the identities of others when you are airing dirty laundry publicly.
73. If you make a mistake, fix it. If you make a mess, pick it up. At some point your Mother really will stop doing it for you.
74. Everyone had a rough time in high school.
75. You really can take great photos with a digital camera
76. You really do need to wear your retainer or your teeth will move back.
77. Small children will always notice the random gray hair, the bags under your eyes, the zit that pops up out of nowhere, and your bad breath. So will adults, but most won’t say anything.
78. True friends point out that you have something lodged in your teeth.
79. You really can tell your hairdresser anything, they really have heard it all. The barista that remembers how you like your morning coffee just wants you to tip her and be on your way.
80. Babies give the best snuggles, especially when they belong to someone else.
81. It really is important to be able to do your own laundry, cook yourself dinner, and style your own hair.
82. Everyone that drinks too much looks like an idiot, including you.
83. Don’t ask don’t tell is a nice slogan for the military, but it really does not work in reality.
84. It is better to face your fears than to live in fear. Surprisingly, it is easier too.
85. Roasted peeps are better than roasted marshmallows.
86. Text messaging works like TTY.
87. Flowers are beautiful, but plants last longer.
88. If you give a plant a name, a beautiful pot to live in and vitamin soil, it grows into great beauty. So do people.
89. Friends can be found in the most unlikely places.
90. An open mind goes a long way
91. An open heart goes even further.
92. If you don’t like the color you painted on the bedroom walls, it is not going to grow on you, better to re-paint it now before you move the bed back in.
93. You can do anything alone, you can have more fun doing it with friends.
94. It is perfectly okay to have a hidden, secret, guilty pleasure like watching Survivor or listening to Britney Spears.
95. It is best to use the hover method in gas station restrooms and use lots and lots of Purel.
96. Dating your best friend is a really good idea, but it is really difficult to go back to just friends if it does not work.
97. Silly socks are really cool. They only have to match your personality and you don’t have to wear them as a pair if you don’t feel like searching for the mate.
98. TV has an evil, invisible monster included with the remote control that is fully capable of sucking out your brain along with every thought in your head for hours at a go.
99. Sushi is incredible, the best reminder to try eating anything, yes anything, at least once just to see what is out there.
100. Passion makes you burn with excitement, patience makes it last.
101. Making a list of 100 things is harder than I thought.