I know that Odyssey is a community filled with "Open Letters to" people that have changed your life, funny Listicles about relatable life events, controversial events in the news, and so many other topics but I have to say that none of these are my favorite to write.
Sure, I will write them from time to time, just to switch it up, but they aren't my first preference.
Personally, I like to use Odyssey as a platform for self-reflection. I have almost always sorted through my problems through my writing and, at the age of twenty, I doubt that is going to change.
I don't do this as a way to show off my few accomplishments or brag about how I "have life all figured out." Quite the opposite, I like to write this type of article because I want people to learn from the mistakes that I have made and they pain, envy, and even joy that they have caused me. I don't want others to have to experience the pains I've had if I can help prevent it.
And, since I have just turned the corner of my second decade of life, I have been feeling extremely nostalgic lately and have a few things I want to share.
I mean, what better way to celebrate 20 years of "being Meagan" than an Odyssey article?
So here it goes: five things that I have learned for every year of my life to this point.
The First Year
1. Screaming is fun and always gets people's attention.
2. When in doubt, consult the "kid in the oven." (Calm down, I just mean I was talking to my reflection.)
3. Carrots and sweet potatoes are yummy enough to turn you orange--multiple times.
4. Naps are only fun if they're in the car or on Daddy's chest.
5. Life is hard when your cheeks are insanely thick.
Terrible Twos?
6. The best part of the day is when Mom "makes a house" for you on the couch.
7. Picture books with Mommy and Daddy are the best!
8. A new house is scary but fun once you get used to it.
9. Sippy cups rock.
10. Bagels are delicious.
Three's a Crowd?
11. Returning your new little brother is not an option.
12. Sometimes you have to share.
13. Jelly on a peanut butter sandwich is a travesty.
14. Leaving preschool is even better when Daddy brings Necco Wafers.
15. PowerPuff Girls will always be there for you.
Be"four" You Know It...
16. Naptime sucks.
17. The "SafeSide Superchick" DVDs will never get old. Never.
18. Every Carolina Hurricanes game must be complimented with a showing of "The Princess Diaries" on the ride home.
19. Peanut butter "foldovers" are the ultimate sandwich (because less bread = more peanut butter. Still no jelly.)
20. If you beg and beg and beg, you can convince your parents to buy a "princess canopy" for your bed.
High Five
21. Tree roots pop out of nowhere sometimes.
22. School is fun but Kindergarten Cafe is more fun.
23. Reading is even better than picture books.
24. It's extremely difficult to make mudpies in a rock-paved driveway.
25. Never steal Thomas's muffin.
Pick Six
26. Writing your initials on Mom's car with a rock is a big NO.
27. Tennis is pretty fun.
28. Reading AR books in class will get you in trouble.
29. Catching tadpoles is a great summer activity.
30. Friends will let you play Barbie dolls. Best friends will help you decapitate Barbie dolls.
Lucky Number Seven
31. Family is the most important thing.
32. Life sucks when your favorite teacher moves.
33. Reading is great but writing my own stories is even better.
34. Cartoon Network changes to Adult Swim late at night.
35. Junie B. Jones has some awesome adventures.
Eight Sure Was Great
36. Math tricks make it suck a little less.
37. The best feeling is growing obsessed with a book.
38. "The fair is in Raleigh."
39. If you ask nice enough, your little brother will play dress-up with you.
40. Any problem can be solved through a hypothetical situation involving Littlest Pet Shop animals.
The Whole Nine Yards
41. Life feels worse when another favorite teacher moves.
42. A romp through the sprinklers on a hot summer afternoon is the best thing ever.
43. Turtlenecks are a curse to man.
44. The best part of the weekend is staying up late and getting up early to watch Disney Channel and Nickelodeon.
45. Switching classes means you have to keep up with your favorite pen and it's really disappointing to lose that.
Perfect Ten
46. "Mean girl drama" takes a lot of energy.
47. The best of lifelong friends are formed over mutual obsessions with Harry Potter.
48. Having a third teacher and a best friend move away in the same year because of military makes for a rough year.
49. Nothing says "recess" like a bamboo teepee and tribal meetings.
50. Word choice is crucial.
Crank it Up to Eleven
51. Making new friends is really hard when you're shy.
52. Math sucks.
53. Never put your lock on your locker backwards.
54. Instant messenger is great but definitely not the place to hash out social drama.
55. School fights are terrifying, especially when they're right beside your locker.
I'll Take a Dozen
56. Sometimes you have to do the things you don't want to do to get to those that you do want to do.
57. A competitive nature is good for your grades.
58. Keeping up a friendship across several states is so much easier with a cellphone.
59. Nothing in life, not even life itself, is permanent.
60. Getting braces isn't the end of the world.
Pretty Lucky for a Thirteen
61. Comparison really is the thief of joy.
62. Being a girl means lots of drama, no matter how old you are.
63. Boys suck.
64. Everything happens for a reason.
65. The Internet is a strange place but, hey, where else can I post my writing?
Fit "Four" a Teen
66. Middle school wasn't as bad as they say.
67. Braces are ten times worse than they say.
68. Completing 50,000 words of a novel in one month is well worth the challenge.
69. The older you get, the more you realize that "Momma was right."
70. The question "are you a Pusser" has its perks when your grandfather taught at your high school.
Fifteen (More or Less) Minutes of Fame
71. Driving is terrifying.
72. Part of being a Southern woman means learning to cook.
73. Being an introvert isn't a burden, it's a gift.
74. I have highly limited skills as a cook.
75. "This too shall pass."
Sweet Sixteen
76. Driving alone is amazing.
77. The pain of heartbreak is almost as bad as the pain of stepping on a Lego. Almost.
78. APUSH, in fact, did not kill me.
79. I am, in fact, "directionally challenged."
80. Classic literature is nowhere near as boring as people say it is.
81. It's okay to be yourself, no matter what others think of you.
82. When you know, you just know.
83. Boys still suck.
84. Some boys suck less than others.
85. Mental health is equally as important as physical health.
Eighteen Types of On My Own
86. I am so much more than any number.
87. Know when to let go of toxic people in your life.
88. It's okay to be "an adult" and still call your mom when you can't figure out how to wash your laundry.
89. Dare to be extraordinary, it's worth it.
90. Okay, I take it back. Naptime is pretty great.
Nineteen was Pretty Nifty
91. To find yourself, you must first lose yourself.
92. Hold your loved ones close, you never know how much longer you may have.
93. There is such thing as too much time alone, even for an introvert.
94. Keep up with your schedule like you keep up with your phone.
95. Your younger brother can be a great best friend when you need him most.
A New Decade: Part II
96. Stress is the enemy of productivity.
97. A scroll through social media guarantees you will discover that one of your high school classmates is engaged or pregnant.
98. "Mean girl drama" isn't worth it. Being petty for the sake of being petty isn't worth it.
99. True best friends really are forever, through various moves, phases, and struggles with schedules. (Weekly movie "dates" help.)
100. God has blessed my life with amazing experiences, opportunities, and people.
So there you have it. One hundred things that I have learned in my twenty years of life. It's been a whirlwind with a rotating cast of characters but I want to thank those that have been there to help me grow through all of it.
To those of you that have positively affected my life, thank you. Thank you for giving me the knowledge, virtues, and habits that have crafted me into the young woman that I am today.
I also want to thank those of you that have negatively affected my life.
Seriously. Without you, I may not have had some of the most important realizations that I have had in my life thus far. Who knows where I would be without the experience of toxic relationships and dealing with difficult people? You have taught me just as much about myself as you have about dealing with others in the appropriate manner.
Life is a series of laughs and lessons, emotions and experiences, and a ton of different people.
I just want to take a moment to thank each and every one of you that have helped me in my journey to create the best "me" that I can be.
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