The Ramblings of a Rootfop

•~4~•

People are very cruel. I hope and worry and wonder whether I'm just as cruel. I probably am. It hurts that I can't see myself as others can. Maybe then I'll understand why they say these things without even knowing or trying to know me.

Although there a lots who are a similar age who speak cruelly, it's the older people who have more of an impact and hurt the most, often they speak as if I shouldn't be there, like I'm some kind of an outcast, they don't act this way towards younger children though. Its like they imagine every teenager to be the same. They view us like the movies that stereotype us as: lazy and rebellious inhuman beings who disrespect and argue with almost every adult they come across for no reason.

They don't view us like they should. We re still humans just trying to make sense of this crazy place. We're treated like children yet expected to behave like adults. So many expectations and pressure is put on us. All any of us want is to be loved and
treated like we should.

I hate growing up.

It seems that suddenly when we reach a certain age we are stripped of the things that make life seem magical, told the
truth about Santa and everything else.

It's confusing, there are always so many questions but they are often dismissed. It's like all of a sudden the fun is gone and we're told that we need to growup, start thinking about our futures. Everybody is so contradictory. They tell us we need to start thinking about what career we want but at the same time, "Its ok not to know because you're still young" yet everyday we are also reminded that now we have responsibilities, that we are not children anymore and we need to stop acting like it.

I guess in some ways it is true, we might be rude occasionally, but there are reasons for it many fail or refuse to find out about. We don't wake up on our 13th birthday
deciding that we are going to be rude to every adult we meet. Often we are misunderstood, not lazy. We are confused and angry at how we are being treated, not disrespectful.

The sad thing is  when you start growing up you begin to notice what is wrong with the world. We notice what we can change, we have hope that many adults don't because we are still holding onto the bit of magic left within ourselves, the magic that nobody but life itself can strip away and since we haven't lived that long, it's not gone yet.

We carry hope that many adults don't. I believe that young people, if given the opportunity, the chance to have a voice, be heard and listened to without stereotype or judgement we could do some pretty good things.

To be listened to and seen is all we really want. Adults often forget that we are human too, we're not as different as they like to think.

If you're an adult reading this, I hope you learn something. We aren't lazy like you say, we also work for over 6 hours a day. You have the option to quit your job, we don't.

School puts pressure on us to get good results, as well as our families. The system is broken and it shows. Young people are in a mental health crisis and the way they teach us does not help in any way. We don't want or choose to do badly. We are just trying to cram as much information into our heads for
a number that will decide whethier we're a disappointment or not. A number that could even decide how we live in future.

If you're an adult, tell me, what things did you learn at school that you actually remember? What formulas and information did you leam that has properly benefitted you or helped you with everyday things in life? It's probably not much, we see how it's pointless, we barely remember anything from the previous year ourselves. The system is outdated. once again, change is needed.

I have nearly finished school. I could just stick it out and leave it to someone else to change, to realise these problems and want and try to make a difference. I want change not only for me but for future children and young people so that they don't have to feel exactly how I do right now.

Please explain to me how that makes me a "selfish teenager"?