dear 13 year old

   Dear 13-year-olds, becoming a teenager can be hard. Everyone has opinions, and kids haven't quite figured out how to think for themselves. Many of you may want to look just like the "popular" kids or act the way that the "cool" people do. I know this, because when I was thirteen that's exactly how I thought that I had to be. I bought the same shoes, I used the same brand of backpacks, I even tried to have the same ideas as everyone else. Because in middle school that is what is imprinted on the back of our brains. Being different is weird. But Weird is good. So be Weird.
   
        Now as a 15-year-old, I like being different; I don't want to be the same as anyone else. So, do what you like, think what you want, do the right thing, and don't judge those who have individuality. Because as you become older, being different is cool, and you shouldn't care what anyone else thinks, because the only approval you need is your own.

 sincerely,
a 15-year-old