Fifteen

Simply Terrifying (Photo Courtesy of Abbi)

When I was in elementary school, I was told terrifying stories about people dressed in black, smoking cigarettes in dark alleyways and throwing pumpkins at people's houses as a joke. They were hated by their mothers for being disrespectful and feared by the rest of the world for their uncontrollable tempers. These people were referred to by the outsiders as "teenagers." At the time, the most alarming thing was that on my thirteenth birthday, I would become one.

It wasn't until recently that I realized I actually was one of them. And have been for two years. I am the person that everyone warned me about. (I think....)

I don't feel terrifying.

I've never thrown anything at anyone's house, never even touched a cigarette or lingered in dark, creepy places. On the occasion that I have worn all black, it was usually the unlucky outcome of having to get dressed at 5:45 every morning. In that case, I didn't consider myself to be dressed "like a teenager," but thought of it as ninja attire.


Every other age has a stereotype; old people are wise, middle ages are hardworking, twenties and thirties are fun, childhood is playful and easygoing. Then there's teenagers. We are the thugs and criminals.

The word teenager, let me clarify, describes a person's age not their behavior. Please stop using teenager as if it is an insult. "You are such a teenager." That would make sense, yes, seeing as I am within my "teen" years.

The only people that truly appreciate the teenage race are concert stars and sports directors. The rest of the word seems to regard teenagers with a scorn and distrust they normally reserve for a fallen banana peel on their kitchen floor. We are looked down upon as an inferior species that feel too much and care about too little. Life is handed to us with easy-to-read instructions, and all we do is throw them away.


Outside of being considered terrifying, my biggest pet peeve is the following sentence:

"You have it so easy right now, enjoy your childhood before it's over, kid."

Excuse me, I feel belittled. I'm never entirely sure how to respond to that. I mean, "wow, are you really hating retirement that much?" So many people think teenagers have it off easy. We don't. Granted, I have never experienced anything else, but I think people forget how hard it is. The person you are in high school, is the person you live with for the rest of your life. We have society set up in a way, that your path in life is set out before you by the time you are eighteen. Everything you do in the 4+ years before that age, is what determines that path. Everything action you make impacts the rest of your life. The big test you failed in ninth grade could be the difference between you passing and failing that class. That grade could be the difference between you graduating from high school or the difference between a college acceptance letter and a rejection. That single sheet of paper could be the difference between you becoming a doctor or the person who screws on toothpaste lids in a factory.

There are, of course, forks in the road and ways to turn your life around after high school. But they're hard to find and hard to do. For the most part, high school matters a lot. I'm not writing this to freak anyone out. I'm saying it to acknowledge the stress that comes with being a teenager. It's hard, balancing family obligations, sports, friends, homework, school, and life, but it's worth it because it matters in the long run.

The third thing that drives me crazy: the word rebel.


My friend, Ashtyn, has a theory that teenagers are not rebels, they just have their own opinions. When you are little, you believe everything everyone tells you. Your parents opinions are your opinions. Your teacher's thoughts are your thoughts. Your home community values are your values. As you get older, teenagers start to have their own ideas and beliefs. It just catches everyone off guard because a formerly agreeable child starts thinking for herself. A lot of times they are different than their parents, and for whatever reason this is considered a rebellion. Maybe people sort of resent that we change, I don't know, but it's not a rebellion.


A bienôt,
Victoria