You will be Victorious

Write a letter to a ten-year-old version of yourself

Dear Dante,

There are countless pieces of advice I could give. Adages that are tried and true, having been put to use in your future. The best I can give is that stress and worry accomplish nothing, do what you can to influence your life, but worry not about the actions of those around you. If you have done all you can, the rest is up to Fortune.

I wish I could do as others must, when thinking back over the years: To change the past. It is a beautiful dream, but one founded on error. Changing what has already happened would be a mistake, in my opinion. Regret nothing. There are things we could do differently, but then we wouldn't end up who we are today, and I like who we are.

Continue as you are. There will be trials and tribulations beyond what most have to deal with. There will be fights, and you will drown yourself in a lifestyle filled with danger and defeat. Nothing else waits for you there. Eventually the sun will dawn on a new day, though. The world around you will cease to be bleak, and you may find happiness. I can't tell you, I'm still waiting.

You will search high and wide for challenges, until settling on the one that pits you against all of society. The police will hunt you, and you will be a fugitive traveling across the entirety of the country. You will see the world. You will stare in amazement at the madness that inflicts the people around you, and then shrug it off. To each their own.

In time, you will be caught. It will be the hardest thing you go through. The lifestyle of an urban outlaw seems glamorous on the outside, from your vantage you will learn that it is a false glamor. Prison has never been beautiful.

You will spend nine years inside for the mistakes made by a police force determined to mete out retribution upon a seventeen year old boy. Nine years inside a prison, away from family, friends, and the world as it changes faster than ever. You will use those years well. Better than anyone could expect, in fact. But you will exit into a foreign land.

Those years won't all be easy. You will face death at the hands of a knife, but you will be victorious. Nothing terrible will happen to you, and instead of being beaten by prison, you will learn to be a man there. You will learn to stand, even when it's hard and five men face you down with the intent to take your life. Once again, you will be victorious. Always remember that: You will win. You will find a way

The easy road, or the mediocre, has never been for you. It shall not be even when you get out. I speak to you now only two weeks after it came to pass, but the future is bright. Your feet will catch the ground, and the speed you set is yours to choose. I don't know how fast we will go, but I'm confident we will find a finish line worth reaching.

So, I part now with this note: Regret nothing and stand up for what you believe in, because at the end of the day the only person you need to impress, is yourself.

Dante

Reviews

[Xavier Lee]

I can scarcely say how enjoyable this was to read. I am in awe, and can think of nothing to say beyond "excellent work".

[S Lavovi]

Great positive attitude in what is a less than favorable situation. I especially like the fact that there are no regrets as life makes us who we are.

[Laura Lynn]

I like how you tell yourself your own fortune and show us how to talk to ourselves in perhaps what is a semi-rational manner. I should try this, a letter like this to myself, though you have already done it here, so after I finish with my current projects, I will try to go back to this, this letter very uplifting,

[Dante Carlisle]

It was actually one of the contests on here, but it turned out to be a pretty cool idea. Definitely was an interesting study of how to objectively view your life, even if you can never be completely objective when viewing your past, present or future.

[Laura Lynn]

I see, the contest, so you can't take all the credit, I need to step up my writing if I want to compete with you or anyone, not that anyone is competing or that it's about that in truth it isn't, the fight's about something else, not sure what there are so many to fight against ourselves and our demons, the trick of figuring out what to teach others what skills to have, etc.

[Marie]

Very good; very profound. This would be both frightening and inspirational to a boy. Wnners don't take the easy or the mediocre road, and they always cross the finish line.

[Dante Carlisle]

That's the way I looked at it. My path hasn't always been easy, but I wouldn't change much. How could I say so? I have no idea where it's going yet. Thank you for the review.