Today, as I was driving to school, I pulled out a CD that's collected dust under my passenger seat. (Yes, I still listen to physical CDs.) As each song blasted from Taylor Swift’s "Fearless" album, I sang (shouted) every word, remembering why this album was so successful. It had quality songs, with actual lyrics and real emotion.
Her songs were meaningful and relatable, and best of all -- she wrote them, herself. Taylor expressed authentic emotion that girls all over the world could relate to. She sang of friendships, puppy love, broken hearts and teenage vulnerability. Today, I began to really think about that -- how she expressed the sensitivity of teenagers. Let’s take a look at some of the lyrics to her song "Fifteen."
"Cause when you're fifteen and somebody tells you they love you, you're gonna believe them."
How many times have you taken someone at face value? Now that we are in college, we realize that we can’t always trust every word people say. But when you’re fifteen, you see only good in the world. You’re so vulnerable that you take people’s word, and then often get hurt.
"And your mamma's waiting up and you're thinking he's the one and you're dancing 'round your room when the night ends."
If there’s ever been a definition of puppy love, this is it. Going back to that vulnerability- someone older asked you out and you’re so excited that a popular guy would be interested in you. So you say yes… without really even knowing who he is. You go on one date and decided he’s “the one”, because you have butterflies and can’t stop smiling. That’s young love at its finest, my friends.
"In your life you'll do things greater than dating the boy on the football team, but I didn't know it at fifteen"
When we’re in 8th and 9th grade, all we know about the world is the context in which we interact on a daily basis. If your worth is related to who you date or what kind of clothes you wear, then that’s where you’ll spend all your time and energy. Even if someone tells you that this stuff won’t actually matter, at that point in your life, it was the entire world.
"Back then I swore I was gonna marry him someday, but I realized some bigger dreams of mine."
At some point, we all have to grow up and figure our lives out. We can’t wait around and expect the life we lived in high school to be all there is. We mature and realize we want to be doctors or lawyers, teacher or humanitarians, because there actually is more to life than winning Homecoming Queen or graduating as valedictorian.
"Abigail gave everything she had to a boy who changed his mind and we both cried."
At fifteen, our brains are so scattered that we probably couldn’t even tell you our own names some days. We are trying to figure out this whole hormone thing, and why it’s suddenly cool to like guys and hang out with them instead of running from them on the playground. One day, our favorite color is blue. One day, we decide we’re going to become a vegetarian. My point is that our brains are still developing, at this point in life. It’s crucial to help these youngsters make good decisions and think about their actions.
"And at fifteen don't forget to look before you fall."
The first time a guy winks at you or holds your hand can make you feel like your heart could burst with excitement. In middle school and high school, it doesn’t necessarily matter who “loves” you, just as long as someone does. I’m sure we all have a story or two where we were completely infatuated with a girl or guy who didn’t even know we existed. Yet, when he/she walked past us or looked in our general direction, we felt like we could fly. It’s important to remember to realistically assess the situation before letting yourself fall completely head-over-heels for someone.
I’ll admit that I’m not Taylor Swift’s biggest fan, but this song really made me think about the 14 to 15 age group and what they go through on a daily basis. This is a time of hormones and acne, braces and excessive sweating. However, this is also a time of progress and seeking out the journey of life.
So many of us turn away from the thoughts of working or interacting with kids in this awkward age group, but I think this is where we need the best teaching and parenting practices. These kids are looking for guidance and acceptance.
We must teach them that they are more than the jokes being thrown at them because they don’t wear name brand jeans. This is a really tough stage growing up, and I think we should really spend more time guiding and molding these young minds.
So if you know someone who’s in this weird adolescent stage, go talk to them or give them a hug. Tell them that they are important and loved. Let them know that they are an important part of your life. Talk to people in your church and community about getting involved in peer mentoring or tutoring as a fun and informal way to guide these students. Most of all, remember that these students are valuable, and take every opportunity available to let them know that.
