things i know now

1. a difficult childhood can be made into a remarkably strong foundation from which to build a life
2. letting go and getting over it is so the way to go
3. i don't have to wear what they're wearing
4. it actually is better to be smart than cute
5. it is nearly always best to assume positive intent
6. it really is okay to be different
7. disco did die, and that's definitely okay
8. brussels sprouts almost never kill anyone
9. people are inescapably limited by their own experience and imaginations; growth means getting way, way out of one's comfort zone
10. as Will Rogers said, "I'd much rather be the man who bought the Brooklyn Bridge than the one who sold it."