Open Letter to Britney Spears

Brit--
Listen, girl. I know times are tough and you're going through a rough patch. But there's no need to push away your family and ignore sound medical advice. It seems you've surrounded yourself with lots of unknown people and maybe they have been easy on you, but now is the time for reflection and the shedding of unnecessary baggage. Let them go.

See, you and I have a troubled history. I used to despise you for annoying me. Then I questioned the value of your music and your image (I now realize that you can take things at face value and not have to politicize everything). Then I began to appreciate you. But these days, Brit, it just seems like all I do is feel sorry for you.

If ever there were a time for a "cut the games" speech, now is time for one for you. The problem is that the only person that can truly give it to you straight up is yourself. Not that creep Sam, not that other creep Adnan--only you. (And don't fool yourself, they are creepy as fuck.)

I understand that you have greater obstacles than most. But your obstacles are not insurmountable. They're only as difficult as you make them and ignoring them only makes them worse. Don't be an American Tragedy, write your own survivor story. Don't go out and stay in hotels, don't piss away your accomplishments, just stay home, reflect and learn to build from what you have left.

You have a lot to offer. And I don't mean your music or dancing, I mean your story. Your story, if you chose to do this right, can either be a cautionary tale or an inspirational story. You can make something wonderful out of something so sad. You can inspire people with problems out there to reach beyond themselves and cut the games in their own lives.

But even if you never tell your story, you can do it for yourself--and that would be a great victory.

- SG