902. Surviving Teen Hood

So it’s a miracle that any of us survived teen hood. Not all of us do. It’s a period of life, an exciting period of life mind you, where you are still learning about the world, at a time where you feel immortal, but also a time where you are saddled with the teenage brain, still in development where judgement is not the strong suit. You need more sleep, are expected to perform in the A.M. when you are at a stage chemically where you are more wired to staying up late and sleeping in. The teen brain needs the sleep to fuel all the continued development. But it doesn’t feel natural to be asleep at 9 pm and up and at it at 6 am, maybe a schedule that works when you are in your later 20’s, 30’s and on. Some of us are never on that schedule.

And as a teen you haven’t gathered your mad people skills yet. And now there’s social media to contend with and the labyrinth of teen politics, appearing cool, but being unique, but fitting in still. Some teens seem to navigate it flawlessly but these are probably the exceptions to the rule. You are learning to become a fully functioning adult and those first tastes of independence & freedom can be intoxicating. But then there are your parents still doing the parenting thing. That’s a lot to juggle.

So who can recall just doing plain stupid stuff as a teenager? I do. I’m sure you may as well. Three times I recall, one time not being entirely sober navigating a canyon/gully in Alvord, Texas, crawling over a two by “too skinny” to get across. Why you ask? Why would you be doing such a thing? Of course to throw a defunct fridge into the gully. Duh. The other two were driving, maybe 95 mph, maybe 100 mph, somewhere in Oklahoma or panhandle Texas brushing my RX-7 by a deer. Pretty sure I caught his whiskers. Maybe same drive, night time, same car, coming into the DF of W around Westlake, Trophy Club, whatever that highway is…114???… passing on the right for a car ahead I judged was just going too slow and the lane runs out. Dumb? Yes. Teenage brain. Also yes. It’s amazing I made it to 20.

It takes a village to raise a child. Get out there, get involved. Be that young adult’s village. Be nice to a teen-ager, learn to tirelessly love the one under your roof. They need it. They may shun it at times, but realize what they are dealing with finding their way in this world. Seek to be a part of that. Be the reason they become adults still saddled with this world, but having all the tools and values to deal with it. Finding happiness and living out that joy. Embracing sadness and suffering all in the balance of life.