Trapped in Terrific TeEnAgE

I'm lazily sipping a cola while my parents are talking to our little guest, my cousin, Saakshi. They are tactfully making her realise that she should take care of her younger sis... the conversation twists and turns (with my occasional snide comments) and eventually dear cuz says something which makes me sputter and choke and guffaw : " ... I'm almost 10 now and I'll be 13 in a few years...no, just 2 years and then, I'll be a TEENAGER!!!" she exclaims. 'Huh? Did I know about this "exciting" phenomenon called teenage when I was as young as her?' I wonder. 'Nopes!' comes the somewhat smug yet disappointed reply... What an ignoramus I was! These days kids are very farsighted, aren't they?! Lol...




So what is REALLY so , say, SIGNIFICANT or UNUSUAL about this span of 7 years which decides your personality for the rest of your life!? Lemme see.... TEENAGE: an age where dreams and ambitions overlap, where 'thanda' and 'cool!' are two different adjectives, where the stomach performs a somersault at the sight of a crush... or the tongue gets glued to the roof while speaking to that 'cute' someone !!! Each time you fall for someone, you feel he/she's THE ONE....each time you flunk a test, you feel you're gonna snuff it very soon...fighting over your fave stars,putting up (but usually hiding) their posters in your bedroom or cupboard, first day of college -damn great nervousness..but as the calender flips a few times, there comes this habit of sitting more on the campus porches rather than on the classroom benches...an Adsorption of sorts or what?! *Sighs* Fights with Mum and Dad, the need to fit in.... And loads and loads of melodrama !



This is the time that almost completely determines what kind of an individual you will be the rest of your life. There are a lot of things to be overcomed, stage fear, introvertness, arrogance, etcetera etcetera... Confidence must set in, the journey into the soul (or knowing who you are) be accomplished. Teenagers often either follow others' ideals blindly or come up with their own versions of philosophies. Some people are drastically transformed: from subdued, obedient kids they go to become arrogant, happy-go-lucky individuals. Or from rowdy, detestable lil pests they go to become soft-spoken, affable citizens.





I think this teenage is synonymous with ENERGY, VIBRANCE, EXUBERANCE, GLIMMER... You won't find so much of these things in a person who is NOT a teenager! It's madness. Fashion brands. Rock bands. Who's going out with who. Teachers? Comment-worthy people talking incessantly. BFFs. My Dad, so old-fashioned. My Mom, so nagging! Arey kya yaar khali-peeli journals bharvaate hain. Let's go to CCD, lecture main pakega. Do you know of our Princy's fashion faux pas ? Bas kya boss... bike nikaal na. He said he found me cute. I'm in love!!!!





As I write this, am an eighteen year old, fully aware that most of these things are just superficial... They'll just be fond (or horryfying)memories in the years to come. Yes, I need to study hard. Yope, no good getting carried away. My best teacher says "After 30 years, it won't matter what clothes you wore, how your hair looked, or what brand were your shoes. What will matter is what you learnt and how you used it." Yes, as years after years pass, his words will turn truer and truer. I must stop thinking profusely about unnecessary things : My FB account, my hair's shine, my Gang, my favourite actor, latest films , hottest songs, that new trendy pair of denims, Edward Cullen, Mr. right, absence of siblings... Whew. Spam, spam, spam!!!





And yet as I finish this post and am about to sign out, my mind leaps out of this rare,calm, MATURE state and goes into a frenzy. 'XYZ's message. Aww. What do I wear to college tomorrow? Lemme ask ABC when that romantic comedy is releasing. We could all go on Saturday. Gawd... I can't find that T-shirt!' Sudden as lightning, a smile flashes across my pimpled face... Aye sir, I'm trapped in Terrific Teenage.