Teenagers can have fun
I hate being stressed. I hate having a million things to do in one day, or in one week and when you try to get everything done, it all starts to clash, and you start getting frustrated and nothing gets done and you then get to that stage where you just want to shoot the world. On top of all that, dealing with family problems, trying to maintain relationships, friendships, keeping up to date with school assignments, pulling ‘all nighters’ and just barely making deadlines. It’s just so stressful being a teenager. But when you look on the brighter side, which I’m very skilled at doing, being a teenager is one of the best times in your life. Yeah its confusing, trying to figure out who you are and what you weren’t meant to do in this world, but being able to cruise through your seven years of being a teenager without having to worry about adult complications like paying bills, looking after children and not being fired from your jobs is actually kind of awesome.
Then again, I do understand that most teenagers in the Cook Islands already help out in paying the bills, looking after siblings, and have their own jobs to worry about. I have a couple of friends who fall into that category. But that doesn’t mean that they have missed all those years of being a teenager and skipped to adulthood, because there are things you can do when you’re a teen that you cant do when you’re an adult.
Teenagers can honestly have fun. They can have the kind of crazy partying fun that little kids can’t, and they can still have an immature attitude because they do not yet have the responsibilities that an adult has.
Your teenage years are the times when you can decide who you want to be and where you want to go in the world, and you can be anything you want! You can begin to create your own path and decided exactly where you want it to lead, it’s the time where you start to create you future and construct the purpose you have in this world.
Cherish your time as a teenager as much as you can before you have to start paying bills, and racking up an income to provide for yourself and everything.
Appreciate the fact that you don’t have all the problems and responsibilities that adults have to deal with and treasure the seven years you have of fun, freedom and experiences through life.
Have the craziest times with your best friends and smile every single day because you never know what will happen tomorrow.
Wake up everyday hoping that something awesome will happen and create experiences in your life because the world is your playground!
Be a teenager. Be ambitious and hard working but live your life to the fullest before becoming an adult. The world is waiting for you, parents know that too, so don’t let petty things hold you back from what your gut tells you is the best thing for you.
Experience the world as a teenager, because you only have seven years to do so. -Dante Numa

Herald Issue 608 21 March
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