A Message From The Future
Not quite as useful as a sports almanac, but worth reading regardless...
I’m trying something new today and including a voiceover of me reading this ‘a message from future me to past me’ post to you. Just click on the little play button above to listen. And please do let me know what you think of this feature in the comments below - I’m intrigued to hear what you make of it!
Hi Younger Lex, it’s Older Lex, here to share some wisdom and news from 2024 (!)
First things first, no matter what I tell you in this letter, you absolutely will not listen. You take perverse pride in being a contrarian: you think it makes you cool and different (just like every 21-year-old in the history of the world).
You have just been diagnosed with rosacea and you are reeling. You don’t entirely believe that it is true and you won’t for quite a few years.
I want to tell you that your skin will get much worse before it gets better, but that there is hope at the end of it all. I want to tell you that denial is perfectly normal and will probably protect you from your saddest days. I want to tell you that you are allowed to request a different doctor if you’re not happy, and that not every one will be as callous and dismissive as the one you have just seen. I want to tell you that your once bullet-proof confidence will take a big hit and people from home won’t recognise you, in photos or in conversation. I desperately want to share all the things I’ve learned about triggers but I already know that you will ignore me because - right now - hair straighteners, sickly alcopops, and late nights gossiping in the park fuelled by cheesy chips make your life worth living.
I want to tell you that one day you will find the courage to talk about your skin and show it to the world, and that through doing this you will find a community. And that community will bring you pride, purpose, and peace. I want to tell you that you are doing your best and that I’m proud of you. I want to tell you that we’re 40, that we have red hair now (consider making that change earlier, it suits you much better than blonde), and we are married to man who is nothing like The Type we invented for ourselves and that is A Very Good Thing.
I want to tell you that we still have rosacea and, to you, that may sound like the most depressing thing you have ever heard, but to me it’s something to hold onto: we still have rosacea and we love our life. Rosacea is just a tiny part of who we are, not the overwhelming obsession you have now. Rosacea makes you kinder, more empathetic, more accepting of others. It will only limit your life if you let it. It will only control you if you let it. You may feel out of control right now, but you will work really hard to find your way back and I’m proud of you for that.
I mentioned that rosacea is just a tiny part of who we are as a person and that’s true, but it’s also a huge part of our life in such a positive way. We’ve spread awareness, campaigned for skin positivity, and represented the community countless times - on live TV, on the radio, in the paper. We’ve given speeches in front of hundreds of people, and reached millions of people with our words and advice.
I know all of this attention will sound scary to you, as right now you can’t think of anything worse than the vulnerability of people seeing your bare skin. But by showing the world who you are, you will help so many others. It will also be the making of you.
Take care,
Present Lex
P.S. Please stop plucking your eyebrows. I’m begging you.
[an earlier version of this post was published on my website in 2020]
Fabulous. We are so lucky to have you, your writing and this community.
That's an excellent piece of writing (and advice re the plucking ☺️)