Brace Face

"Brace Face"
"Metal Mouth"
"Railroad Tracks Teeth"
even "Dum Dum who can't chew gum gum"

Those are the actual results I got when I googled nicknames for kids with braces. Wow.

A lot of teens have braces and almost everyone goes through the awkward stage, the look-in-the-mirror-and-realize-that-you-had-a-big-piece-of-lettuce-from-lunch-stuck-in-the-wires-of-your-braces-when-you- were-talking-to-a-cute-guy stage, the I'm-not-going-to-refuse-popcorn-just-because-my-orthodontist-told-me-to stage.

And you know what? No one ever tells you when you have that piece of lettuce in your mouth. Nope. They just let you walk on out of the cafeteria and up to that boy, and they even let you have a whole conversation and strut down the hall with a huge smile, feeling all confident. And then, as you round the corner to the bathroom and rush to the mirror to make sure you looked okay when talking to him (not that it matters anymore...too late now), only now after you gape at the limp green vegetable do they say, "oh yeah I saw that." Well, why in the world didn't you tell me?

We all go through that as teens, but no one seems to want to help anyone else out. They just won't give a sista (or brotha) a hand. The sad truth is, there is and probably always will be those awkward food-in-the-braces moments and the "Brace Face" shouts. We just deal with it for a few years, and suddenly, high school hits and it seems everyone has perfectly straight pearly whites. Magic.


But I'm still waiting for that appointment to come. For now, I'm still just a "dum dum who can't chew gum gum" (although I sneak some every once in a while).

Counter Three

 First Time Driving 

(A.K.A. Day my mom lost all faith in me)

"Stop!" my mom yelled, "You're gonna hit it! You're gonna hit it! STOP!"

"Mom, I'm 10 feet away from that other car. Just chill out."

"No. Absolutely not. Get out of the car. Now."

And that was pretty much sums up all you need to know about my driving experience.

                6 Months Later

(Day of License Test. A.K.A. Day with mean old lady staring viciously at me from the passenger's seat, eyes darting to catch any and all mistakes)

"You need at least 80 hours of driving in the daylight---and 30 hours at night before you drive alone."

"Mom, are you kidding me? I passed the test, let me drive already!"

  One Week Later

"Can I drive?"

"No. Not today."

Well, one question for you, how does she expect me to do over 100 hours of driving, if she never lets me drive? 

Folks, meet my mother. She expects me to do the impossible. She "believes in me." Apparently not enough to let me take the wheel. Great. 

 Today, as I'm walking up to the DMV, the car keys feeling unnatural dangling from my hand, my mom turns to me, 

  

"Don't be nervous, honey."

Right, don't be nervous, because I'm going to fail anyway. 

 

She takes a seat on a sticky blue chair and waits for my number to be called, probably hoping there will be some sort of freak accident and it will be skipped over. 

 

No such luck. "Number 6005 at counter 3"

 

I'm sure that that as I finished my test and pulled in (very crookedly) to a parking space, that my mom was praying that I had failed miserably and would have to wait at least another year before attempting the test again. 

 

But, to my incredible surprise, I did pass.

Not that that changes anything, though. I still have 110 more hours of practice before I can actually drive without Mommy and Daddy next to me. 

It's a long road of driving ahead, so look out highway, here I come!

And for the record, I was nowhere near that car.

"Summer Breeze Makes Me Feel Fine"

Now that school's out, the only things that teenagers, including myself, want to do, is have fun and relax. For too many years I've had what I call an "overscheduled summer." I had no time with friends, no time by the pool, and no time just to relax in front of the TV. I went from one camp to another program to a class to volunteer work, and before I knew it, school was starting again. All I really cared about the whole time was getting a chance to chill out a little.
But this summer is different. I have most of it (aside from two or three weeks planned weeks) to decide for myself. And contrary to popular belief, not all teens will go wild when given the opportunity to do whatever they want. I have a schedule for myself, which I've been following, and I'm having an awesome summer. I am getting to see my friends, tan by the pool, watch some TV, but I'm also doing some productive things, too. I'm exercising, taking driving lessons, and I've even cracked a book or two. What a shock!
I am confident that even though every hour of every day is not planned out, I will still have a great summer. And this way, I actually get to enjoy my summer. I know that I will return to school feeling rested and relaxed, instead of being tired and stressed out.
So don't feel like you have to schedule our summertime, let us do it ourselves and let yourslf be pleasantly surprised.
P.S. In case you're wondering when you've heard the title of this post before, look up Seals and Crofts.

Way back when...Prom Night

Prom.

Is there much need to say more? I'm sure you all remember it, but I'm not so sure that this generation will.

It would seem that not much has changed since your junior and senior proms: nervous guys fearing rejection get up the courage to ask a girl as their date, the girls, in turn, care 10x more about the dress than anything else and spend hours shopping for "the one" weeks in advance, restaurant reservations are debated, hair appointments are made, you know the drill. It can be a stressful, but fun and exciting time for the upperclassmen.

But let's face it. The buzz about prom isn't really about the dance. It's about "after prom." That's when the fun begins.

The kids drive up, and the beer comes out, and there's no telling what happens next. You wake up not knowing how much you drunk, who you made out with, or how far you went.
Here's the classic dialogue:
   
    Kid: Hey, my friend's having a party after prom. Can I sleepover at her house?
    Mom: Which friend?
    Kid: Uh, you know, Jane.

CAUTION! This is a trap! "Sleepover" is code for getting drunk, "hooking up", and getting high. It's an allibi, in a sense. That's not to say that Jane isn't having a sleepover at her house, but she may be having 50 kids over, and if one doesn't show up, Jane probably won't notice.
 
  Let your kid know how beautiful prom night can be. Don't let her sacrifice herself and her reputation (as so many people do). You don't need to party hard to make prom night special. It already is. So make sure your teen makes prom a memorable night, and one she can actually remember.

Moms, Listen Up!

     So, here it goes. I am a rogue teen, and this is my mission: to inform desperate mothers across the globe of what is really happening in high school. I will disclose what other teens won't dare tell their mothers. I will delve into serious issues that all teenagers face. I will discuss drugs, peer pressure, cliques, insecurities, grades, dating, student-teacher relationships, depression, the dreaded "s" word (sex), and so much more. Secrets are coming out, so Moms, listen up!
     First, you should know a little about me. On the outside, I'm your average teen. I go to school, do my homework, hang out with friends, text, and have a room with dirty clothing for a floor. But on the inside, I'm a bit different. I grew up going to a religious school, and that has made me an extremely moral girl. I don't cheat, don't lie, and definitely don't steal. I am a careful decision maker, and I only do what I am comfortable doing with my body. I work hard to do my best and be my best. I don't participate in a lot of the stereotypical "teen activities," but I'm definitely not clueless about them. I've dipped into all different social circles. I've been a cheerleader, a track runner (though not a very good one), a nerd, and a nature gal. This year I had my first boyfriend whom I dated for almost six months. I've been bullied and pressured, and that's only the beginning. I've been in many situations and can relate to many teens. I can read my classmates and pick up on little things here and there. I am a caring person, and I want all teens to have a chance at a good life. Though they may not want to share this with you, I will.