The Sensory Lives of Teenagers

(image by Tifotter 2005)

I recently saw two teenagers necking at a bus stop and it gave me pause. I suddenly remembered what it was like to kiss somebody for ten straight minutes, lost in a deep trance with tongues intertwined. This kind sensory exploration is no longer appealing as I head into my senior years, which is sad and liberating all at once.

Remember how we used to listen to music, laid out on the carpet on our stomachs, reading the lyrics on the album covers, memorizing every word and believing in the words of our idols. We felt like they knew us and our entire generation intimately and shared the secrets of our very soul. Time disappeared during these sessions, and we only resurfaced when someone called our name, shaking us out of such wonderful reverie.

As teenagers, when we were offered food or drink, we devoured our meals ravenously. We could drink all night to excess and go to work or school the next day hungover, but happy. We could sleep blissfully for fifteen hours and wake up mid-afternoon. Some of us enjoyed getting high. We would make sure we had the afternoon or evening off to immerse ourselves in the laughter and free-flowing dialogue with our friends. We allowed ourselves to create music or dance together, wrote poetry on cocktail napkins, or doodled hilarious images. We had no inhibitions about what people might think of us. We were a united front.

Our friendships were intense and felt like they would last forever. We could talk on the phone for an hour about nothing, but it all seemed critically important. We would share our deepest darkest secrets with friends, like dangerous incidents or daring attempts. We would share tiny trust objects like bracelets or seashells.

So, when you see a teenager who seems unresponsive, remember they are truly in their own sensory world that we are no longer a part of and try to be patient. What do you miss the most about those years? Please subscribe / comment below.

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