Teenagers
The dictionary defines a teenager as “a person of ages between 13 and 19 years.” A lot can happen between those years, and many of those experiences shape who we are. New friendships are forged, new lessons learned, fond memories are made, and bonds are even broken. For many, their teenage years are looked back on fondly with memories of friends and family during high school and early college years. Although, some were not as fortunate.
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My grandparents and many Slovenian men and women I know had a very different teenage experience than I have had. The Communist takeover of Slovenia ravaged for years, affecting thousands. Many Slovenian men and women spent their teenage years hiding, helping their parents work, and fleeing for their lives. What people my age know as “common teenage experiences†like swimming, going to bonfires, and walking home from school, were stripped away by those life-alternating experiences during those years of war. However, those experiences have not defined those I know. I see light and joy in the eyes of my Slovenian relatives who did not get to have their traditional teenage years like I have.
My take on being a teenager is different from most, knowing the history that my relatives and beloved country Slovenia have faced. I am grateful to be a teenager, and count my blessings for my good fortune every day. I do not take for granted the car rides going home from Kres on Sunday evenings; the late nights spent with friends at Pristava during the summers; the delicious brunches spent mingling with friends and family after Mass. I am grateful every day because my teenage years have been filled with splendor and blessings. I also acknowledge that many American teenagers take their blessings and privilege for granted, not knowing the history that others have faced. However, I do not. I appreciate the years I have had thus far and am lucky enough to look back on them fondly and look ahead towards the years to come.
The following famous quotes about teenagers shed light on the diffi cult teenage years:
- Good habits formed at youth make all the difference. Aristotle
- Inwardly, we’re much older than other girls our age. Even though I’m only fourteen… I feel I’m more of a person than a child… Anne M. Frank, letter, 1944
- It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are. E. E. Cummings
- Drama, problems, tears…teenage years. Laughter, action, fears…teenage years. Author unknown
- At the end of the day, who you are is totally, completely up to you. The person you were is gone. The person you will be is a stranger. But the person you are is what matters. Author unknown
- I want people to know that it’s OK to have feelings; it’s OK to be vulnerable. That no matter where they live around the world, teenagers all go through the same things. Khalid Robinson
- Small children disturb your sleep, big children your life. Yiddish Proverb
- I don’t know what better teenage life you could get than going around the world doing what you love to do. Anna Kournikova
- In life, you don’t get the people you want, you get the people you need. To teach you, to hurt you, to love you, to make you laugh your heart out. To make you exactly the person you should be. Author unknown
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By Maya Stupica
(Editor’s note: Maya is currently studying political science at Miami university and is a hopeful law student.)