Teenagers: A Mindset for Life!

Betty White says, "I'm a teenager trapped in an old (90-yr) body." Psychology Today magazine calls this mind set an "anti-aging" formula.  The psychology of perpetual youth, according to Dr. Leon F. Seltzer, stems from maintaining an outlook of innocence, wonder, and awe. View things with a fresh perspective, be curious about everything, lighthearted and fun, fostering a sense of adventure. View challenges as a game to play with options and choices, bets and risks.  To many, this may seem foolish and Dr. Seltzer anticipates as much in his article. But the fact is this is exactly my life. It's not foolish, it's possible. I'm not my chronological age, I'm 17.  Gavin Enright should know--he's 17 and he says I act just like a teenager. I'm more excited planning a road trip with 5 teens for a fab birthday weekend in Montreal than I am about going to a literary festival with adults in Jamaica! It's not the place or the event--I can't wait to see Treasure Beach, Jamaica, and I love books, but ultimately, it's that I feel more comfortable with teens. I love them. I understand them. I fit in.  When my sons and their friends hang out at the house talking about who's dating whom, where the party is gonna be and why certain folks should not attend, I know everyone's names, all the characters, the gfs and bfs and BFFs. I know about the drinking, the drama queens, the fights, the mean girls, shy girls, liars, loners, rockstars and the wanna be delinquents. I give advice because I'm the so-called adult, and what I can truly offer them is reflections on my own experiences, the good and the bad, the journeys and the destinations I've reached, because after all, I've had many more than they have. But in the end, I still view the world through the eyes of a teenager.  First love, possibilities, dancing until your clothes are sticking to your back, talking until the sun comes up, and yes, even feeling left out. And no, I'm not dancing in the dark here. I see and acknowledge the bad stuff, too, like the online bullying, the teasing, and the meanness that teens can master in a heartbeat. And I call them out on it. I try to show them the loss of their own humanity when they engage in it. Put them in the other person's shoes. There's a No Bashing rule set in stone in my house! Yes, I'm a teen but I run things! What a great positon to be in--I have the best of both worlds, forever young, but fully loaded with experiences, knowledge, hard-earned wisdom and a little cash! Who better to share all that with than a house full of teenagers? And Montreal better watch out. The Wombatz are Coming!