Okay, so being a teenage is actually a pretty awkward stage. It is the stage where decisions have direct links to the
rest of your life. But at the same time we are still expected to hang on and try to spend the last couple years of our childhood. Expected to act like adults, treated like children. I could go on. Basically it is an in-between stage...that lasts 6 years.
So I've compiled a list of things that are true for me and I imagine are true for every other teenager. Enjoy.
"Oh, you're too young for that."
This is the worse one for me. If you ask me how I honestly feel, and I tell you that I'm a bit stressed and my joints are sore again, telling me I am too young to be stressed and sore does not help. Excuse me, I'm pretty sure I know whether I'm stressed. Just because I'm not a in my 40's does not mean I have nothing going on in my life.
"So, what college are you going to?"
I got asked this as soon as I started 9th grade. At this point, I was overwhelmed with high school. Five years down the road was not exactly on my radar at the moment. Also, college is not for everyone, and at this point I'm not even sure I'm going to college. So, like, please stop asking me. Thank you.
"Do you have a boy/girl friend yet? / I'm sure you can hardly keep the boys/girls away."
"Actually, haha....No." Um, not failing high school, plus a job, plus normal house stuff is keeping me plenty busy, without a boyfriend. This is the ultimate, aunt/uncle-that-you-only-see-twice-a-year question. I had a dentist that asked me this multiple times each visit. It was like, nope, I didn't get a boyfriend since you asked me 5 minutes ago...
"Teens are the hardest to parent / the "trouble" stage."
This is usually said to my mom, but when I'm there, and they look at me while they say it, etc. And while I admit there are teenagers and drink and do drugs, but I'm not one of them, and I don't know people who do. So thinking that every teen is talking back and sneaking out at night and suffering from depression is really unrealistic. (Added note, I live literally 40 minutes from anything so it would be a looong way for me to get anywhere if I was going out.)
"By your age (___) was doing (___)."
Whether is is a relative or a historical figure, being compared to others is not fun. I have an aunt that got married at 17. In Bible times boys were officially men by 14, and girls were married even younger than that. Buuuutt, I don't live in Bible times. And I don't plan on eloping at 17. So being told that my generation is "lazy" for taking so long to grow up is kind of ridiculous...
What other things do people say to you that you're tired of hearing? Let me know and I'll add it to the list!
~J.
