Dear Parents: A Teenager's Rant
It is without regret that I have exerted the time and energy that I will have on what is currently a nearly blank sheet of what we call “paper” on this pixelated screen. For the things that I intend to communicate to the future readers of this article are things that I believe are the unsaid things that in fact, must be discussed for the overall well-being and mere sanity of the human teenager. (Well maybe not unsaid but definitely unsaid for me). Now before I delve into the issue that I hope to bring up in this rant (because that is exactly what this is), I would like to make the opposite of a disclaimer, whatever the word may be for that concept; I am hereby a veteran teenager, with only several months left to live this miserably hormonal life which I indeed hope may stabilize itself as I transition into the supposedly less miserably hormonal life of a twenty-something year old. I write this as I am currently feeling quite oppressed by my own guardians. Now most may be familiar with the concept of “freedom of speech.
” As a grown child, I completely understand and even agree with the notion of filial compliance to whatever one’s progenitors (no matter what species in the animal kingdom they may be) may wish for his/her own offspring (again, no matter what species in the animal kingdom the child may be). That is, children at a young age require guidance and have limited understanding of what is best for them. But the problem is that these children do indeed grow to become very wonderful and bright young men and women, often much more quickly then their progenitors are aware of. At such an age, they are perfectly capable of handling their own problems and using their perfectly capable minds to make decisions for their perfectly capable selves in any kind of situation. Then a counterargument may be that these “perfectly capable” children are driven by emotional rollercoasters and wild mood swings that do not allow them to be “perfectly capable” of taking proper care of themselves.
Well then, let us rename them as “decently capable,” understanding that “perfectly” may be too strong an adverb to describe such hormonal teenagers. And you must understand that we have to be deemed “capable” to at least some degree (so I have stuck to “decently” as that is a decently good word), because why then do others push us to be productive, to find jobs, to be responsible? It is because we are expected to be somewhat capable—decently capable—of living our lives. Why then am I suppressed merely for voicing my own opinions about how I should be living my life? Why can’t we have a deep discussion about the things that we believe in—and by “we” I mean both parties (progenitors and their offspring), instead of one preaching to the other? I am forced to listen because, well, there is no space for me to insert anything of my opinion (which is probably nonsense anyway), but why can’t the roles be switched JUST FOR ONCE? I just want to be understood, and believe me I try, I really do try, to understand you. But for once, will you not try to understand me?
