A Legacy of Letters - Dear Young Max

Recovering the Lost Art of Letter Writing

Recently I had a deep thought about the disappearing act of actually writing a letter. In an age where DMs blow up on our phones and Emails take us away from our daily grind for just a quick second, personal letters (written and typed) appear to be on the verge of extinction (if it isn't already).

I have always been a fan of writing letters to someone, especially handwritten ones. Letters are the ultimate form of expression that costs close to NOTHING to produce. All you needed was a pen or pencil, something to write on, and an idea, thought, or feeling you wanted to talk about and BOOM off to the races.

I would always write a letter to the person I was with in a relationship. A lot of times I found myself in long distance relationships because of my time in the military. While we could not express love in the physical sense for a long duration of time, we had to make up for it in letter writing. I had to describe my situation, my thoughts and feelings about it and about them. I'd talk about what I wanted for the future...to run off into the sunset forever and ever. I was that guy! But regardless of the outcome, writing letters became an outlet for me when the world would pile itself on me with the reality of life.

This entry will be the start of a series called A Legacy of Letters: A nod to the lost art of letter writing and also paying my respects to some people that have left an impact on me over the years.

Today, I will have a heart to heart with my younger 18 year old self, before my time in the military. Before the multitudes of fallen friendships and relationships that didn't happen. Before I'd rise as an adult only to lose it all, fall, and claw my way back up to my feet.

This is in response to a writing prompt I came across a few months ago and I am excited to share my letter with you all.

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Hey Max,

It's me...or rather, you, from the future. I'm writing to you to offer you some words of wisdom I need you to take into consideration as you grow older and wiser than I was without this advice.

First, before you say 'I Love You' to any woman, you have to pour that love into yourself, or you will be in and out of relationships with a heavier heart than before you entered. You will become miserable, lost, hopeless, and desperate. You have a lot of FEMININE energy in you, which is not a bad thing. It makes you an ambassador of Life.

You are empathetic without being too emotional. Creative yet reserved...but you have a critical in seeking to please others, especially friends and your partners so that they can love you and you don't feel alone.

Being alone and not having someone to share life with scares you...and it stems from Dad leaving Mom and Mom doing it all...trying her best, but showing you how to be a man from a female's perspective. It made you somewhat submissive, passive-aggressive, and vulnerable.

Vulnerable is OKAY. Make sure you express that in bits and pieces so that you don't overwhelm your people like I did.

You are ONE HELL OF A WRITER Max, and you gotta build upon your passion to write! I need you to master your craft and publish your works EARLY! Your writing is YOU! Don't let Mom and Ed's advice damper you because you will second guess yourself for years! Don't put yourself through that.

Write your stories, get into blogging, freelance as much as possible because you will not only be true to yourself, but you will help others! That is your primary mission in life!

You are capable of many things alone if you need to be. Don't worry about the number of friends you have. Friendships, even your most trusted, will evolve or fall apart. Ali, Kev, and Jonathan will cease talking to you for various reasons. You will do the same over time. Don't be sad or angry. Embrace it...prepare for it...thank the Universe for it. Cherish the moments and do what you need to do for you. Everything evolves, including yourself. The only thing that is permanent is impermanence.

You will marry and have a family. The wedding bells aren't the last step to building love and a family. The last step is the last breath...figuratively and literally. Get to know who you want to build that union with...and above all...to thy own self be true...KNOW THY SELF. Should it fall apart, as it will with friendships, the guidance is the same. Cherish the moments, learn and grow. Never sacrifice your character for scorn, anguish, or revenge.

With family comes PREPARATION, PROTECTION, and PROVIDING. The advantage of investing early. When you have your deployment money, take a grand and grow it outside of your Chase Account. It will come in handy in the future for you and especially your children.

Do what Mom and Dad didn't know how to do...MAKE YOUR INCOME WORK FOR YOU.

Carry no grudges in this life. The universe didn't curse you to go through your trials. It prepares you to grow closer to your true, authentic self. Amor Fati...Embrace Fate.

Last thing, tap into Human Design, Gene Keys, Astrology, Numerology, Spirit readings and other unorthodox ways to get you to know more about your soul self...your unconscious self. This has helped me a lot and will definitely shape you in the early stages of manhood. You'll thank me in a later book!

Be kind to yourself, because I am proof there's only one Max E with a Tea...and that's YOU!

Make it count. I'm proud of you and Love you.

You've got this!

Max Writes Life

Writer Between the Lines