The mind of a Teenager

Teens don't like being judged. I know you wonder why your teens won't tell you much. Maybe even nothing at all! Trust me, they'd like to but, they don't wanna be judged. Seriously guys, don't be too quick to judge. We wanna tell you a lot but, you just won't listen. If you want us to talk to you, don't judge us just because we pointed a finger. We could do worse. Maybe pointing a finger is only the half of it. You'll never know unless you just HEAR US OUT.

Note that we might not tell you everything at first. Usually before we tell you the truth, we test you. I know that tests are a big part of life but, now-a-days, tests are the BIG THING.

As a teenager, we have to face so many of them that it's not even funny. Even though I have not entered adulthood, I know that tests are gonna make your life. They say that life is a test. They are right but, I don't like the word 'test'.

This is what I say:

• "Life is truth".


I mean, if you really think about it, it is.

Of the way we act. You wonder why we dress the way we do, why we talk the way we talk, HECK, why we even walk the way we walk! I know the list goes on.

It all summons up to us wanting !ATTENTION! We have no way to get through to you otherwise. As I said above, we want to talk but most of the time, we know you're gonna end up judging us. Possibly turning our words around. When we do talk to you about something, most of the time we end up screaming or yelling at you,
'YOU JUST DON'T GET IT!' If we don't say it, believe me, we're screaming on the inside.

Usually, you guys end up saying or thinking,
'I thought you didn't want to come. I thought you wanted to hang out with your friends?'

Sometimes that's true. We love hanging out with friends. Sometimes though, they don't satisfy our needs. What needs would they be?

1. Love. There are many different kinds of love. Not the same as a parent's love though.
2. Home. Yes, we can easily bunk out with our friends somewhere but, we want a place to call 'home'.
3. Food. We depend on you feeding us. Who else would we depend on?
4. Trust. We need to know that you trust us.
5. Security. We have security with friends but, we do get into fights and arguments. We'll need you.

Those are only some of the many reasons. Those are the main reasons. As you can see, you can provide us with needs that nobody else can. You can tell us what's right and what's wrong. So can other people but, it's different when a parent tells us. There may be events in the past that we've never heard of that we want to know. Sure, sometimes Uncles and Aunts and even Grandparents can tell us the story but, we want to hear it from you.

Make it go! Help! Somebody help me!

We also shed tears. Maybe our pet died, maybe our boyfriend/girlfriend dumped us, maybe....just maybe....hopefully not...our best friend died.

It's sad when people leave. It really is. Especially if you were close to them. Just like adults, we mourn when we lose someone. We might mourn even more than adults. Although friends aren't everything, they are still very important. We treasure the memories we had with them when they're gone. Sometimes, that just ain't good enough...

We have problems. We need help. Sometimes it's so urgent that we need help NOW! Believe me, when we really need help, we'd do anything to get it. Our first thought would be 'Let's go get mom and dad!'

We rush all the way home to get your help. What do we find? No parents. You're either gone or...you're there but, emotionally you're not. Sometimes you just don't care. Sometimes...we are loyal.

Sometimes we do regret not telling you things sooner...but most of the time, you're the one who ends up regretting having no time for us. Wishing us away. You get the drill. I know you do.

Where could you be if you're not home? Yeah, you could be out at a friend's or maybe, you're still at work. You get home and you're so tired to tell us about your day, or to hear about our day that, you get so angry with us when we didn't do anything.

Don't blame us. Don't make us wish we weren't born... 'cause let me tell ya, it's not fair. You know what happens then?

I do....

Usually happens. We get so frustrated with all the hurt and the suffering that we shouldn't of had to go through.

Sometimes it ain't even you. Sometimes it's friends, sometimes it's work. Sometimes it could be the stupidest thing on the planet. People are different. They look at things differently than others.

Back to the parent thing. You knew we had problems. You knew we wanted help. You didn't even care!

Sometimes, instead of food being on the table, you're out drinking with your friends. Maybe even hooking up with someone. Who knows what the heck you're doing? You! You know that we're at home hungry and wondering when we're gonna get fed again. Instead, you be a selfish person, and keep all the money for your wants.

Sometimes we have siblings....you don't pay attention to us but, you'll pay attention to them. You end up having a favorite kid. You give them everything they want, shower them with a bunch of love, everything we've ever wanted.

They get everything that they take it for granted. Yet, when we get the chance to experience something like that, we grasp it while we can. We get things the hard way. We work for it.

Sometimes we just can't stand the sight of all the giving and loving to the other sibling that we just can't take it anymore! We're tired of everything you've put us through! If we go through it because we need to, that's bad enough but, when we shouldn't be going through it...it takes a life time to heal.

It doesn't have to be us...it could be you.

Sometimes we don't commit suicide. Sometimes something else happens...and trust me, it's no better.

Sometimes we join gangs. You know just as well as we do that there are an enormous amount of gangs in this world. Alternatively, we think that joining a gang will be better than killing ourselves. In a sense, the minute we join a gang, we're dead. Gangs have weapons. Weapons can't just save you, they can kill you.

We join gangs because we think that they'll help us. We think we fit in. We think that they're there for us. Really, they ain't. They just there to make money. They know how to make fast cash too.

Once we realize that being in a gang is not what we thought it was, we want out. We can't have 'out' though. It ain't that easy. We tell them we want 'out' we die. Why? We know things that regular everyday people don't. They don't want the regs to find out so they only solve it by doing one thing. Killing us.

Please, don't let that happen to us. Ever! After all, you might be the one who drove us there. Might. No guarantee.

Alright, alright, I think it's 'bout time I stop makin' y'all feel bad.

Now, I'm gonna talk about other needs that need to be satisfied.

You may not be happy about it but, there's nothing you can do.

Now, you are probably worried that we gettin' interested in bed. You're right. We are. There is nothing you can do about that. It's our time now. You're time is gone. It's our turn to explore and figure out things.

We are aware of things that could happen. If they do happen, it could be the next best bud we never wished for. On the other hand, it might never happen. So, what should we do? Just be bored and sit around all day? Or, get to know a person very well? I mean, very well! Some of us choose to wait(not many of us these days), some of us get it on. It happens.

You try and get it into our heads that it ain't good for us. Why? You were our age. Why you telling us it ain't good for us?

As for the teens who are virgins, wow. That's all I can say. Wow.

With me, just any guy won't work. That's all I'm saying. :-)

Just watch out though, your teen could be doin' what they do with someone because they want money. That's one way you could stop them. Give them money. Cold hard money. That'd be nice.

I don't need to say anything about friends because it's all right here! :-)