Saturday, July 31, 2010

Mall Rats

I remember being a teenager. It's not like it feels that long ago. Yes, okay, it was a wee while ago, but it doesn't feel so long. It was a fast decade.

So when I see the gangs of teenage boys and gaggles of teenage girls all hanging out in 'around about' the same area, just standing far enough away to appear aloof, it brings back memories. I know what those giggling, blushing, girls are thinking. (To this day, I still have no idea what it was like from the teenage boy's point of view, quite frankly, I'm rather glad, and hope I never do..)I remember clearly the feelings of inadequecy, and the excitement of the romance (I read Twilight, I know what it's about). The rush of meeting someone new, your friends sussing out his, "going around" together. Not minding that you have no common interests and that he's more of the mumbly, grunty variety. Going home wondering if he really liked you, and if he'd ring.

The boys hanging back and laughing at each other, egging each other on. The girls talking high pitched and much, much, louder than normal. Tops lowered, skirts hiked up, lip gloss on, eyes batting. One person from one group, tentatively making themselves physically closer to the other. More shrieking laughter. Moving on to the next gang of boys if there's no success with the first.

And then there's me, having stayed at the mall too close to dinner time, pushing the double pram which takes up an excessive amount of the path, with a toddler screaming, a baby wanting milk and a reluctant 4 year old whinging and refusing to keep up. Trying to push past this teenage lovefest and just wishing they'd cluster and bat their eyelids somewhere that wasn't where I was trying to go. Biting my tongue and holding myself back from rushing up to one of them screaming like a crazed woman:

"Don't do it!! See what I'm having to deal with right now??? This is where your path leads.. does it look worth it to you???!!"

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