It is amazing how life works. The moment when the past meets the present. What do I mean? Oh, it’s quite amusing; I was just reminded of my past as a shithead teenager. How? Well, how else does karma work? I have a fifteen-year-old who acts EXACTLY like I did when I was fifteen-year-old. And I do mean EXACTLY LIKE ME.
My teenage years were pivotal to me. I was still dealing with my dad’s death, I was experiencing new emotions and revelations. I was starting to find my voice and desiring independence. Most importantly, I was growing resentful and rageful towards injustice – or what I perceived as “injustice”. I didn’t have a problem with saying “No”, “Leave me alone”, “I don’t want to”, and anything resembling defiance. I was someone who responded to any opposition with harsh verbal reactions. My family got the brunt of it, especially my cousins. They were always trying to change me into something I’m not as if what I was – what I am – was wrong in their eyes. I was defiant and absolute in my defiance. I was determined to be my person against all odds.
That was almost twenty ago and I’m seeing it again in one of my students.
Like me, he isn’t a bad kid. He’s someone who wants to be independent from his parents. He doesn’t like being told what to do or how to be. He doesn’t like his independence or identity being threatened. I thought that to be the case of normal teenage rebellion…until it wasn’t. It was all too familiar.
I told my grandma this and she just laughed. She told me she remembered my teenage years and reminded me of something. Indeed, there was nothing wrong with me. Of course, she did say that I was “really something” – a nice way of saying that I was a handful – but, deep down, I was a good kid. She reminded me to see that student the same way. I was advised to extend to him the same grace. To be patient and guide him the way life has guided me. So, that’s what I’m trying to do. I’m trying to pick my battles with him and let him be his person while helping him realize the realities of life. I’m praying that I’m doing it right…
Please don’t forget to follow me on my social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Goodreads) on my web page’s right side. Also, I love hearing suggestions of what books to read outside of my norm (Science fiction and Fantasy) as I am a part of the Goodreads’ reading challenge for 2024. For this year, my goal is 150, and I’m already at 53 (35%). Given that I’m in school and teaching English, I will blast through this challenge.
