In the past few weeks since the weather has improved I have started walking over to the high school for my afternoon tutoring. One of the boys in the group lives close to me and also walks so we have started walking home together. During these trips we talk about whatever is going on in his world. Sometimes we talk about the abundance of fruit available at his father's house. Sometimes we talk about bike riding. And other times we talk about what it's like to be a teenager. Let's remember he is a sophomore and just barely turned 16. During one such conversation he told me about a girl from a neighboring town who he had "dated" for a few weeks before letting it peter out. He commented that this petering had left him once again single. Now that may not seem so strange to you but I was amused to find this 16 year-old boy using the word "single" to describe himself. The phrase "I am single," in my mind, should only be used by people old enough to be married, not by young boys not yet shaving. So after laughing at the absurdity of the situation, I calmly explained that he doesn't need to worry about his relationship status until once he's at least done with high school.
On another note, one of the girls I tutor has a one-year old son and the other kids talk about how they know of other 14-year old girls getting pregnant. I realize this is nothing new, but I've been closed off from the reality of it until now. Which makes me think about my own high school experience. When I was 14, I wanted boys to like me just like any other 14-year old would, but sex was the farthest thing from my mind. I mean egads!!
This thought process leads me to be oh so thankful to be done with that phase of my life and to have struggled through it in a much more sterile environment. I'm thankful that my biggest confrontation in high school was standing against the use of profanity on my senior T-shirt. I'm thankful that the constant pressure to not be single did not wake me up an hour before I already had to get up for seminary just so I could spend thirty minutes on my hair and another thirty minutes on my make up to look just so for school. Thank you extended innocence and thank you Sherwood, Oregon.
2 comments:
I am so with you! Sex was the furthest thing from my mind when I was 14--man, that is so young. I can't even imagine having a baby to care for at that age. Man, the pressures keep getting harder and harder for these kids.
Hey you wouldn't be thinking of me when I would wake up an hour before seminary to do my hair and make-up? Wink, Wink.
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