Letter to My Teenage Self

Peter Gilmore, born and bred in Sydney, is the executive chef of Quay Restaurant in Sydney. Since 2001, Peter’s creative and original cuisine has seen the restaurant receive an unprecedented number of Australian and international awards, and establish itself at the forefront of Australia’s food scene.

Dear Peter,

I am writing to you as I know you have recently started high school.

School has always been a challenge on two fronts. One, having dyslexia has made it difficult, especially at this time when there is not a lot known about the condition. You puzzle your teachers, as you are able to comprehend concepts and express yourself verbally very well. When it comes to writing things down you are frustrated because you can’t spell the words you want to write. As it turns out you will end up publishing two cookbooks with the aid of a thing called ‘spell check’ and a wife who happens to be very good at writing and patient enough to be your scribe.

On the second count you have always been a bit chubby. It’s hard fighting genetics. You will conquer it in your twenties but by your forties you will find yourself still fighting the battle. As a young child this made you a target at school, and it wasn’t just the bullies. Kids can discriminate easily. Without life experience their reactions can be very superficial and quite hurtful. In a lot of ways these experiences, though hurtful, have made you quite resilient and through this a strong belief in yourself has prevailed.

What it has taught you is a deep empathy for people’s differences and a certain level of humility that will keep you grounded. In future the sort of success you will have professionally may have made you arrogant but some of the challenging experiences you have had at this age will help you keep things in perspective and will allow you to remain humble and appreciative.

I feel that creativity needs to come from a place of quiet confidence and humility, as it is a ‘gift’. You will feel very lucky that you are able to express yourself creatively through your work.

I would also like to tell you that the only friends worth having at high school are the ones that accept you for who you are. I know you have recently moved house and have started at a high school where you know no one. As it turns out, you are not the only one in that situation and you soon make a couple of good friends.

Friendship is about give and take, and it is worth finding people who are genuine. This is something you will always seek.

To finish, I want you to know that although life is full of ups and downs and challenges, I have found that remaining positive and truly believing in yourself is the best way forward. Find your passion and live that passion to the best of your ability.