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© 2007 Melody Schmidt There are many special events in one's life; their 18th and 21st birthdays, their wedding, the birth of their child, their golden wedding anniversary… Many of these events will not come for me for a while, but this month, my first real milestone is occurring; I turn 13! I'm so excited to finally be a "real teenager." Everyone in my grade has turned 13 already. Some are turning 15 this year, so they don't remember the magic of becoming a teenager anymore. Finally, I'm allowed to go to the teen gym, see PG-13 movies in the theater, and enter most contests in teen magazines. A lot of times you hear, "Oh, she's thirteen, now she's a woman." It's really not like that at all. In my opinion, turning thirteen signifies the beginning of a bigger and perhaps more exciting life. It takes many years to transition from a teenager to an adult. I have a three-year-old brother, who spends hours playing with his toy cars or Legos. Sometimes he is happy just playing with rocks or dirt. Whatever it is, I tend to think, "How can he enjoy that for more than two minutes?" But then I look at old photos, and remember the times when I was three. I realize that things haven't changed that much. Instead of playing with rocks for hours, I'm looking up specs of the newest Motorola RAZR for hours. Or I can talk to a friend on the phone, discussing nothing in particular, yet chatting away for a long time. However, I think teenagers are happiest when what they do includes both work and play. Work alone gets pretty boring, but play only, is not challenging enough. I'm amazed that those pictures of me as a three-year-old were taken almost ten years ago. They say when you're a teenager, time means nothing. And they're absolutely right. When you're young, you don't worry about wasting time. You think you still have a life time to go. Ten years ago I was a tiny tot, but ten years from now I'll be of drinking age, and past college. I'll have a real adult life. That's pretty hard to wrap my head around. Sometimes I envy my little brother because at his age people still think you are cute and adorable. He can do things that I am simply too big for. I miss the days on my Daddy's shoulders. I am too old to order kids meals, and at fairs, the weight limit for the moon bounce is 70 pounds. Those days are over. Also, as a teenager you have to work harder to see results. When I was little, I could just yell, "Mommy, I want some juice!" and she'd go running to prevent a tantrum. "Go get it yourself. You're old enough," it's her motto these days. I have to do chores around the house, and sometimes I babysit my brother. I used to be able to eat whatever I wanted, due to the energy-burning magic of kids. For the first time, I actually have to exercise so I don't pack on the pounds. It takes time and effort to stay healthy and fit. Becoming a teenager is exciting, but at the same time kind of scary. I can finally get my own cell phone. I can go to the neighborhood mall with just my friends, or see a movie. All these years, it's always been, "Wait until you're older." Finally, I'm hearing that less and less. I'm gaining the trust from those around me, and more importantly, I'm gaining freedom. However, with freedom also comes responsibility. I will have to learn to make choices and decisions that don't hurt me or other people. Sometimes I will fail, but I will get back up. I guess that makes me a "big kid" now! |