A woman has found a note she wrote almost two decades ago and it has prompted a realization about her personality that many people in this day and age can relate to.
The rediscovered childhood journal entry was shared on Reddit, where user twosixteen81 posted an image of the handwritten note alongside the caption: “Proof that I’ve been overthinking life since 1988.”
The text beneath the photo explained the context behind the entry. “Second week of 2nd grade: Our teacher gave us journals to write in. This is what my seven-year-old self wrote,” on September, 27, 1988.
Overthinking is widely recognized as a symptom of anxiety, and data suggests mental and emotional health concerns often begin early in life. In 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that nearly one in five children ages 3 to 17—21 percent—had ever been diagnosed with a mental, emotional, or behavioral health condition.
What Did the Note Say?
The note itself captured a stream of thoughtful reflections, beginning with a wish to fly and ending with a contemplation of identity.
It said: “Sometimes I really wish I could fly. I would be good if I could. I wonder what I would do if I could fly. Maybe I could fly over the mountains. Or fly up in space, and maybe I could make friends with birds.
“I never knew there was so many things you can do if you could fly. Well I wonder what it would be like If I were a teacher. Maybe it would be fun if I were just myself.”
The teacher had also left a handwritten response on the page, writing: “It is fun to be yourself. I wish I could fly too. It sounds fun.”
Reddit Reacts
The March 26 post struck a chord with users, many of whom reflected on their own childhood thoughts and how they compare to adulthood.
“I wish I had kept a diary in the past so that I could now revisit my childhood and teenage thoughts. That would be quite fun and enjoyable,” one user commented.
Another offered a different perspective, writing: “It is not overthinking. when one is young, there is an absence of responsibility. Things change when we grow up.”
A third user asked: “With all the over-thinking, have you come to any conclusions? Or was all the over-thinking not worth the anxiety?”
More recent research suggests that overthinking remains common well into adulthood. A 2025 survey conducted by Talker Research for herbal wellness brand Traditional Medicinals, which polled 2,000 adults, found that the average American second-guesses 41 percent of their daily decisions.
The study also revealed that one in eight respondents were even greater overthinkers, saying they contemplate nearly every decision they make.
While the childhood note reflects imagination rather than decision‑making, the single journal entry shows the seven‑year‑old weighing different possibilities all at once.
Newsweek reached out to u/twosixteen81 for comment. We could not verify the details of the case.
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