You may be thinking, "Well, yeah! That WOULD BE hard!"
But then one of my teenagers comes home and I think how EASY my life is. I'm not trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up, or what instrument to play, let alone what college to choose. I'm not devastated when someone criticizes my clothes, because adults don't really do that (even when you're wearing socks with sandals--um, yeah).
But that WAS me once.
That's why I write for Young Adults. Because I remember all too well what it's like to be a kid. To not be the one in control. And if I need a reminder? Well, my teens do a good job of throwing the occasional reality check right smack dab in the middle of my smug little "woe is me" face.
The hard part about being a teen is that you're not sure who is right and how often to listen. There are so many voices yelling at you to be this and be that. Kind of makes it hard to hear your own voice sometimes. No wonder teens sometimes act like they're deaf. They're just after some quality me time. And I totally get that.
That's why I write for Young Adults. Because I remember all too well what it's like to be a kid. To not be the one in control. And if I need a reminder? Well, my teens do a good job of throwing the occasional reality check right smack dab in the middle of my smug little "woe is me" face.
The hard part about being a teen is that you're not sure who is right and how often to listen. There are so many voices yelling at you to be this and be that. Kind of makes it hard to hear your own voice sometimes. No wonder teens sometimes act like they're deaf. They're just after some quality me time. And I totally get that.
How do I know? Because I was there. So were you.
I dealt with the noise by running and reading. I ran track and cross country and listened to music. I would disappear into my own little world and talk to myself, using my time "alone" to make plans for the future. Then I'd come home and read a book. Or do homework. Mostly read books. I could disappear into books for hours on end.
I found strength in the characters who were just like me, struggling and trying to survive their own trials of life. And they did survive. Heck, some of them even learned some good lessons. What a concept! It gave me courage to branch out on my own. To take risks and think about what I wanted to do. Who I wanted to be. So as a teen I began writing my own story, both in life and on paper.
And I'm still doing it today. Not only for myself but for teens...past and present. And you know life as an adult isn't really so different. Just more expensive. But hey! You get to wear sandals with socks!!
Happy writing and reading everyone!
I dealt with the noise by running and reading. I ran track and cross country and listened to music. I would disappear into my own little world and talk to myself, using my time "alone" to make plans for the future. Then I'd come home and read a book. Or do homework. Mostly read books. I could disappear into books for hours on end.
I found strength in the characters who were just like me, struggling and trying to survive their own trials of life. And they did survive. Heck, some of them even learned some good lessons. What a concept! It gave me courage to branch out on my own. To take risks and think about what I wanted to do. Who I wanted to be. So as a teen I began writing my own story, both in life and on paper.
And I'm still doing it today. Not only for myself but for teens...past and present. And you know life as an adult isn't really so different. Just more expensive. But hey! You get to wear sandals with socks!!
Happy writing and reading everyone!
Awesome blog! I love it! Gives me a new perspective of my pre-teen!
ReplyDeleteYes, great description of teens having to deal with all the "noise". It is better being a grown-up in many ways (except I wish I had my teen-age weight back).
ReplyDeleteOhhhh... this was a great post, Karen! Serious. And funny too. I wish I would've had reading as a teen. I loathed it because I didn't know there were good books out there *winks* It's why I write YA, so I can add to what I missed out on during those years :D
ReplyDeleteCrazycousin: Thanks so much! It's a hard age to be sure, but it can be fun too. Just have to help our kiddos through the stuff we can. :)
ReplyDeleteHeather: I want my weight back too. Well, not in addition to what I have now mind you, but yeah...
Thanks Morgan! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. It helped that I had friends who were also into reading and let me borrow a bunch of books. I couldn't always afford them and our library didn't have a wide selection. Good luck with your writing! Go YA!