logo
‘I met my younger self for a coffee' poem becomes cathartic trend for TikTok users

‘I met my younger self for a coffee' poem becomes cathartic trend for TikTok users

NBC News14-02-2025

Jennae Cecelia imagines that meeting her 15-year-old self for coffee would be a cathartic experience, even if her younger self would probably show up late, wearing sweatpants.
'She lets out a sigh and has a good cry, I tell her to release her feelings one at a time,' Cecelia, 30, wrote in a poem that she posted to TikTok earlier this month.
Her words — which will be featured in her upcoming book, 'Deep in My Feels' — have inspired a trend on TikTok, where people are posting their own versions of what they think would happen if they caught up with their past selves.
There are 16 million posts that appear under the ' Coffee with My Younger Self' page on TikTok as of Friday, with many users sharing videos with text that begins 'I met my younger self for coffee.' The posts often use a clip of the song 'Sweet Heat Lightning' by Gregory Alan Isakov.
For Cecelia, writing the poem was a way for her to embody 'my present self meeting back up with my past self and be the person for her that she didn't have at that time.' She said she has been pleasantly surprised that others are now using her poetry as a way to heal and reflect on their own memories.
'Some people have chosen to go the really, really deep route of talking about healing with their past self, and some people have kind of made it more lighthearted,' Cecelia said. 'So it's just been really fun to see just each direction that people have taken with it.'
The videos have garnered hundreds of thousands of views on TikTok — with even 'Shark Tank' judge and entrepreneur Barbara Corcoran getting in on the trend by sharing her journey from waitressing to becoming the 'Queen of New York Real Estate.'
In the videos, trend participants reflect on topics like body image, career planning, housing, relationships with parents and romantic relationships with partners.
Sundas Raza, 21, a spoken word artist who lives in Cardiff, Wales, believes the trend's popularity partially stems from people wanting to heal their inner child.
'It's easier to practice self-love when you're speaking to a child — in this case someone's internal child — than an adult,' said Raza, who put a twist on the trend by reading her poem aloud rather than writing it as text over video. 'So I think by doing this trend, people are able to give themselves that love in the form of seeing themselves as younger.'
Some who have posted videos said writing their own version of the 'coffee poem' has been a way to celebrate their accomplishments, large and small. Others said it has been a way for them to let go of past hopes and dreams.
'I think it's so easy to get caught up in the day to day of life, and then seeing a trend like that kind of forced me to step back and, like, reflect on how far I've come,' said Giselle Ortega, 23, who also participated in the trend.
In her video, she recalls her younger self's coffee order (an iced mocha with two creams) versus her current order (an iced coffee with 'just almond milk please'). Her younger self would talk about how much she couldn't wait to get out of her hometown, and her older self would say how she's been enjoying her new home city, Boston.
'I hope we meet for coffee again,' the end of her poem states.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

DJs Scottish Donald Trump impression goes viral in hilarious skits
DJs Scottish Donald Trump impression goes viral in hilarious skits

Daily Record

time20 minutes ago

  • Daily Record

DJs Scottish Donald Trump impression goes viral in hilarious skits

Steven Galloni said he has been flooded with requests from companies and musicians to help promote them. A Scot has spoken of his joy at his Scottish Donald Trump character going viral - after his hilarious social media sketches have racked up over a million views. Restaurant boss, DJ and podcaster Steven Galloni - who is known as Gal - posted several clips of 'Big Donnie' on his TikTok. The skits talk of Trump on nights out and ridicule his spat with Tesla, X, formerly Twitter, and SpaceX boss Elon Musk. ‌ Gal, who also regularly does stand up comedy, said he has been asked by companies and fellow musicians to plug their creations. But he says the best part of his new found fame is that he's been making ill Scottish grannies laugh in their hospital beds. ‌ Gal, who was born in Italy but raised in Dumbarton, said: "I've been doing accents and impressions since I was like 5 years old so I've always experimented with voices. So a character like Trump I've been trying his voice for a long time. "It's got better and better over time. The Scottish twist to it just came naturally. It's currently sat at half a million views on my own TikTok alone. But a few big pages have shared it on FB too which was like nearly 500k. "Collectively it's sitting really quite high over a million views which is nuts. I honestly just make my mates laugh all the time with the impressions so to see them get so much traction online is really cool! I'm usually doing everyone's nut in." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. During the coronavirus pandemic, Gal and pal Stephen Kirkwood were forced to adapt when restrictions dented their music and training business, SKapade Studios. ‌ Inspired by old recipes handed down from Gal's gran, they opened authentic Italian restaurant Bangin' Pizza, serving pizzas made of only the finest Italian ingredients. And Big Donnie has given Gal the chance to embark on another career and possibly even his own TV show. He said: "I've had a few different requests. A couple companies wanting me to promote them, a couple of music artists too. ‌ "Loads of people telling me to start a personalised video service, like on Cameo. I'm thinking about it but I'm not sure. I'm still enjoying building a wee following here so we will see. It could be funny. "I've done stand up on and off for years and have always been a comedian. I'm definitely brewing up my own show or something. I love being on stage so I'm keen to get something together for Big Donnie. "I think it would be hilarious. But I'm just taking it all in my stride. I'm buzzing with the reaction that it's getting and I just want to thank everyone for the overwhelmingly positive support and love. ‌ "The most surprising thing is the messages of support I'm getting. It also seems like whole families are enjoying the content. So many people have told me their whole family have been laughing. "Wee grannies in hospitals have had their days lit up with Scottish Trump and people who are going through a lot have told me that the silly impressions have lifted their spirits. There's honestly been some mind blowing positive love has been coming my way. "It's such a nice thing to hear. I've also followed up with other videos that are doing pretty well and I can't believe how much folk are loving Scottish Trump." Gal's TikTok is @stevengalloni.

The TRUTH behind Julie Chrisley's dramatic prison release transformation
The TRUTH behind Julie Chrisley's dramatic prison release transformation

Daily Mail​

time36 minutes ago

  • Daily Mail​

The TRUTH behind Julie Chrisley's dramatic prison release transformation

Reality star Julie Chrisley is already turning heads with her new look just weeks after she was released from prison - and beauty experts are weighing in to share exactly what she has had done since coming home. Spoiler alert - it looks like she may have already hit the Botox clinic. On May 27, Julie and husband Todd received the news of a lifetime as President Donald Trump announced that he would be fully pardoning the both of them as they were serving time for tax evasion and bank fraud. Julie was originally sentenced to seven years, while her husband received a 12-year sentence. However, last year, her sentence was reduced by 14 months. The reality star couple was found guilty in July 2022 of conspiring to defraud community banks out of more than $30 million in fraudulent loans. The Chrisleys were also found guilty of tax evasion by hiding their earnings while showcasing an extravagant lifestyle. Todd, 56, was held at the Federal Prison Camp in Pensacola, Florida, while Julie, 52, was at the Federal Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky. When Julie finally emerged from prison recently, she was spotted sporting brown and gray locks, which was a huge change from her usual coiffed blonde 'do. Over the weekend, Julie was spotted in her local Tennessee Target store with a dramatic, brand-new look as she posed for selfies with two fans, who later posted the images to TikTok It appears that she was unable to keep her blonde color while she was in prison, as it completely grew out. Later, her son revealed she did not want to go back to blonde following her pardon - but it appears the Chrisley Knows Best star has had a change of heart since then. Over the weekend, Julie was spotted in her local Tennessee Target store with a dramatic, brand-new look as she posed for selfies with two fans, who later posted the images to TikTok. Her shoulder-length hair was a bright blonde, featuring delicate highlights and a cool undertone, looking perfectly blown-out. Julie showed off her glowing complexion with a touch of makeup, wearing bronze eyeshadow, black eyeliner, and sporting clear gloss. She opted for a chic blue blouse, light bell-bottom jeans, and completed the look with a pair of brown sandals. It was a drastic change from her immediate post-prison appearance, and now, a cosmetic injector is weighing in to FEMAIL about exactly what the star has had done since she is no longer being behind bars. According to triple-board certified Cosmetic Surgeon and Founder of The Surgeonista, Dr. Gina Maccarone, it appears that Julie's hair wasn't the only thing she changed up. 'It appears she may have had some dermal fillers in the temples, cheeks, under-eye area, and around the mouth, along with what looks like a Botox brow lift,' Dr. Maccarone told exclusively. 'Julie's face looks fuller and less hollow, with fewer creases in the areas I mentioned — more plump overall!' Dr. Maccarone continued about the star's new appearance. 'Her brows also appear more lifted compared to the before photo, which could be the result of a subtle Botox lift.' Daily Mail reached out to Julie Chrisley's reps for comment. Thankfully, for those fans who want to see more of the family, they will be returning to reality TV in a new series on Lifetime, according to People. The show was supposed to chronicle the family's life as they dealt with their parents being incarcerated, but things might take a turn now that they've been released. Since arriving home from prison, it seems like the family has been enjoying their time together, something their daughter, Savannah, has spoken about on her podcast. She revealed that she made her parents a hearty, homecooked meal for their first night back. 'I made steaks, pastas, salads, potatoes — we had a smorgasbord,' the 27-year-old 'MAGA Barbie' revealed on her PodcastOne show Unlocked Tuesday (pre-taped Friday). 'My parents enjoyed it and loved it.'

TikTok's 'Perth accent man' confesses he 'owes Alan Cumming an apology'
TikTok's 'Perth accent man' confesses he 'owes Alan Cumming an apology'

The Courier

timean hour ago

  • The Courier

TikTok's 'Perth accent man' confesses he 'owes Alan Cumming an apology'

Actor and well-known TikTok creator Tyler Collins does a killer Alan Cumming impression. The talented mimic, whose uncanny impressions of regional Scottish accents have won him online fame and more than 30K followers on TikTok, hasn't met the Traitors star yet. But that could all change as Tyler is set to spend the summer on stage at Pitlochry Festival Theatre, where A-lister Alan is artistic director. 'I actually think I owe him an apology,' Tyler, 36, says sheepishly. 'I said in one of my videos (demonstrating a Perth accent) that Alan was from Perth, but he's actually from Aberfeldy. 'A lot of people corrected me on that one!' he laughs, before becoming serious. 'People do get pernickety over this stuff, but one of the things I want to do with my videos is make people from each region feel seen. 'Scotland has more than just this West Coast, Glasgow mish-mash we see a lot on TV.' Born in Alaska, Tyler's party trick as a child was his spot-on impressions of Peter Griffin (Family Guy) and ability to mimic voices of friends and family members. When he moved to Scotland at age 18 to attend the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow, he developed an ear for Scotland's different regional accents. And his demonstrations, from 'chewy' Glasgow Uni to more 'back of the throat' Dundonian, saw him go viral on social media, with approval even from the harshest critics – Scottish people themselves. But how does someone whose natural accent is American differentiate between the likes of Dundee, Perth and Fife? 'I think of Perth, Dundee and Fife as all having interconnecting rubber bands of varying strengths, indicating how much they don't want to sound like each other,' laughs Tyler, who has worked for stints at the Dundee Rep and Dunfermline's Alhambra, but still lives in Glasgow with his partner and their senior cat, Freddy. 'So Perth has a very strong rubber band stretching in the opposite direction to Dundee. Over there, they want to try as hard as they can to not sound Dundonian. 'I suppose Perth is in the kind of touristy belt too, which means the accent becomes clearer and more homogenised over time.' He draws parallels between the Perth accent and Edinburgh accent, highlighting they're both 'softer' and closer to received pronunciation, albeit with a slightly harder 'R' sound in Perth. To hear him slide in and out of different cities across one sentence is mind-boggling; never mind when he eases back into his natural Alaskan tone. 'Meanwhile Dundee and Fife don't want to sound like each other either,' he observes. 'But they both have that East Coast pride. 'This is our sound, eh?' he demonstrates, heavy on the Dundee 'eh'. Up in Pitlochry, where he's been staying with other repertory cast members in a their hillside 'oasis', Tyler hasn't had much of a chance to actually study the town's accent. 'You don't meet people from Pitlochry in Pitlochry,' he says. 'But one of the cast members, Eden (Barrie) is from there. She was told at uni that her Scottish accent 'didn't sound Scottish enough', which is not fair. 'I think that's part of the identity crisis of Scotland,' he muses, sliding into a nasal Glaswegian: 'I don't want tae hear masel on the telly!' During his stint at Pitlochry Festival Theatre this summer, Tyler is taking on the roles of Ally in Sunshine on Leith, Kenickie in Grease, and Tom in The Great Gatsby. For the latter two, Tyler is thrilled to get to speak 'in my own accent' but admits his ear for voices is helpful when bringing to life characters from different eras. 'In Gatsby, one of the hardest things is that the language is so specific. There's no contractions – you wouldn't say 'we're', you'd say 'we are'. There was a clarity of the time. 'The danger is slowing down, because although the words were very clear, people actually spoke incredibly quickly.' And when it comes to singing, Tyler's talents transfer over, meaning he can sing in a perfect Proclaimers impression for Sunshine On Leith, or a convincing Chicago-based Danny Zuko. 'I only got to audition with an American accent for the first time two years ago,' he reveals. 'There aren't a lot of American plays put on here, eh?' he jokes in Fife-ish. 'Literally the only reason I've been able to live and work here is my ability to do a good Scottish accent.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store