As the end of my teen years approach and “real adulthood” begins, I’ve gone through an in-and-out reflection period. I’ve had the constant need to represent myself as a grown-up, while trying to grasp for the last seconds of my teen years, often framed as the last years as a “child.” From silly realizations to true learning lessons, I can confidently say I’ve learned something new most days of my seven years as a teenager. It’s these same realizations and lessons I hope to keep as I enter my 20s.
1. Wikipedia is inaccurately, accurate.
When I was in elementary school, we unironically completed quite a few research papers; and in all of them, I was constantly told that Wikipedia was not a reliable source in the slightest. This is ironic because as soon as I hit high school, we were using Wikipedia like it was the only source on the planet. The biggest life lesson here though is that Wikipedia is unreliable, but it’s also really useful. Yes, anyone can edit Wikipedia pages, but sources within the pages can’t be changed. So, maybe don’t quote Wikipedia, but a few scrolls down and you might run into some really good academic journals, books, etc. Life lesson number one, don’t judge a book, or Wiki page, by its cover.
2. Tourism is at the root of all things evil.
This lesson hits extremely hard as someone studying urban planning and who is part of a family of immigrants. Up until I was 15, my dad took our family to his pueblo in Mexico every winter. At times I felt like a tourist, no matter how many years I visited or how in touch I was with my culture. And as I came into my education I learned about gentrification and colonization to new levels that many don’t learn about. These core moments in my life led to a sense of discovery that included the ever-growing gentrification of places like Puerto Rico, my dad’s Pueblo, and Hawaii.
These places all hold in common the idea of being tourist towns, countries, etc. despite their deep roots in history and culture that are sacred to their people and their people only. Tourism in this light to me, and many others alike, is portrayed so negatively that you just wish it would disappear because you know it would make everything better. Life lesson number two, don’t go where you know you won’t belong, especially if everyone tells you to stay away.
3. Jeans aren’t meant to fit you, they’re meant to test your sanity.
There’s a saying, “You aren’t meant to fit your clothes, your clothes are meant to fit you,” and every time I’ve heard it, I’ve wanted to rip all my jeans to shreds. I think the phrase should be changed, because yes, you aren’t meant to fit your clothes, but the true enemy here is the clothes, particularly jeans. Every time I’ve bought a pair of jeans, they either come in varying sizes or eventually shrink so much that I have to throw them away. At some point, I begin to wonder, what’s the point of jeans? That is until I came to the revelation that they’re meant to make me question every life decision I’ve made that led me to put on a pair of jeans. In simple terms, life lesson number three, petition to ban jeans for my sanity alone.
4. Immigrants are at the root of modern-day America.
A bit biased of me to say, since I’m proudly a part of a family of immigrants and first-generation children, but America would not be where it is today without immigrants. As early as I could remember, my family was very open about everything that led to our life in America. Without getting too much into it, I’ve always been exposed to ideas like DACA, ‘from the River to the Sea,’ illegal immigration, and Green Cards. And with that, as I entered my teen years, I became more and more educated on the immigration system and how it’s intertwined with modern-day America. Many like to quote immigrants as the backbone of farming, agriculture, and groceries, which yes, they do make up the majority of labor fields. However, if not for what’s considered immigrants today, we wouldn’t have an America.
The Natives who occupied this land are often seen as illegal immigrants, despite their very early occupation of the land. We simply don’t have an America without the people who came before us, regardless of ethnic, cultural, or racial background. Life lesson number four comes from my dad: tu estás en tierra robada (you are on stolen dirt).
5. Emo music is meant for the charts.
Quite a niche and unique concept, but isn’t that the root of “emo” music? As a child, I’d always tease my older cousins that they were “emo” because they wore the color black and played bands like Panic At The Disco and Fall Out Boy. To me, these two bands are the key roots of emo music, punk rock teenage sound. As I’ve grown and gone through the public school system, I witnessed this unconventional music genre be turned down and heavily criticized by anyone who didn’t openly support it. I, myself, hated the genre for the longest time. But I think I finally reached a point where I can openly say I’ll go through a whole school day playing My Chemical Romance on full volume, as we all should. The reality is emo music is a top-tier genre and should be pronounced as such. Life lesson number five, Twenty One Pilots is more than just red beanies and black clothes; they’re a feeling of relatability and comfort.
6. Books are the basis of everything.
A very common notion surrounding high school literature is that it’s “useless” or “stupid,” however, I think it provides the foundation for everything in real life. When I was in high school, my English teachers assigned readings like Hamlet, The Diary of Anne Frank, and 1984. On top of that, our librarian prioritized students reading “banned books” that referenced topics like gender dysphoria, genocide, and race & ethnicity. At the time, those pieces of literature may have seemed boring, but in today’s world, they’re ever too familiar.
Concepts of the Holocaust in The Diary of Anne Frank, propaganda and censorship in 1984, and high social class abuse in Hamlet are commonly referenced in today’s media. So much so that we’ve begun to see these same books go through the large range of banned books, highlighting even more of how much history and fiction truly come back to haunt the modern-day world. Life lesson number six is a staple in why Suzanne Collins writes her books: read because authors only write when there’s a reason to; literature reflects more “reality” than we might believe.
7. A good backpack can change everything.
A bit of a reference to last Christmas, a.k.a my last Christmas as a teenager. By the graces of Earth, I was gifted a new backpack that replaced my three-year-old, worn, and stretched-out Jansport backpack; and let me tell you, best gift ever. Going from a saggy backpack to one that naturally stands up on its own is honestly a top-10 feeling. On top of that, my new backpack comes with so many pockets to fit all my things, including my banned books and laptop full of Wikipedia tabs. If you have the option, elevate your backpack, because, at some point, the back pain will become too much to handle. And finally, life lesson number seven is to choose comfort over style, especially when it comes to your back, and most definitely if said back is a bit crooked.
Since this year began I’ve been debating on creating a time machine to travel back to when I was 13 so I could relive my teen years. This period of my life was so pivotal to me that the idea of never being a teen again makes me nostalgic and tearful. Despite the sadness that comes, I think I’m 99.9% ready to move on to the next chapter of my life, especially with all these moments, lessons, and memories I’ve learned throughout the last seven years.