For all little girls and boys in the world

After a long meeting and an all-too-long career with teachers and parents and various adults who have given up on kids.

This is dedicated to all the little girls and boys out there who have adults in their lives who don't believe, anymore, in them and everything they can be. Yeah, you. You know who I'm talking about. I'm talking to you, kid.



A little advice, kids. Pardon my french. But, fuck 'em. Every last one of them. They're wrong. You can be whatever you want to be. Don't listen to adults or anyone who's given up on themselves and, thus, on you and everyone else.

And for the adults who have done so. You probably need to take a moment, to think, for just a second, about that little boy or little girl inside of you. That cute, pudgy one who was always afraid about what everyone else thought about them. And you might take a moment to remember at what point that little boy or little girl started to give up on themselves.

I just want you to remember, if even for a moment, what it was like to still believe in yourself before all those fears about what you couldn't possibly be started to overwhelm your dreams about what you could be, given enough heart and effort to make it so. And you want to do so to help you get honest about the fact that you talking kids and people and yourself up or talking them down is the likely the single most important thing that you could do to either support or sabotage a child. Or yourself. Or anyone for that matter.

So talk your kids up. Talk all kids up. As high as they can go. As high as their dreams will take them.

Play pretend trumpets with them. And pirates. And princesses. And Indie pop stars.

And, more to the point, stop talking kids down. Stop talking yourself down. Stop talking everyone down. And stop taking those foolish fears you live inside of so seriously.

Get busy finding a life you love. And stop talking down kids and everyone else around you.

And, in the meantime, kids. Listen to Aunty Ingrid. She knows what she's talkin' about.

And when adults tell you different, tell them to go fuck themselves. Not out loud, of course. Because you'll probably get smacked. They're still bigger, after all.

But in your heart. Tell them to go fuck themselves. Nicely. You know. As nicely as you can tell someone to go fuck themselves.

And go be whatever you want to be. For real. Find a life you love. I mean it.

And, while you're working and patiently waiting for that life to come through, love the one you have now. Because I said so, that's why. And go give your mom and dad a kiss, why don't ya. And go clean your room, for Christs' sakes.

For your own sake. And for the sake of your own children.

Oh, and by the way. Thanks mom. You were right. I love you.