Earlier this week, I saw a preview for the movie The Edge of Seventeen. It’s a feel good coming of age story about a seventeen year old girl named Nadine Byrd as she navigates through the hustle and bustle of high school life. While this may be a contender for movie of the year for most, I myself don't see the appeal in it. I just don't understand why so many people romanticize their teenage years as if they were the best moments of everyone's lives. Having recently left the teen portion of my life, I can say firsthand that it wasn't the magical time that others claim it to be.

Seventeen for me wasn't a big jump from the rest of my life. Like all of the years before it, I followed the usual routine. I went to school, did my work, and went home. No grand adventure with a group of friends, no meeting the love of my life, and no first time sexual experience. You know, all the wonderful things that Hollywood tells us our teen years should have been. The only moment that stands out in my mind about being seventeen was hanging out with my friends at school. Since I was (and still am for the most part) a little on the anti-social side, most of the human interactions I had with people my age was at school. I didn't go to parties or hang out with others after school. The only activity I did with friends after school was going to see the occasional movie. Nothing more than that.

When it comes to the romantic side of seventeen, my experiences were less than zero. There was no mutual attraction that grew into an intense relationship culminating with a passionate night of premarital sex. Hell, I've yet to get pass the mild acquaintance stage with a woman, let alone reach a mutual attraction. Love tends to do to me what that fisherman does to that lady in the old State Farms commercial. It dangles a beautiful person in my life for a few moments and then viciously rips them away just as we're getting to know each other. And if love doesn't rip them away immediately, it allows me to fall more heavily for them only so it can reveal that they're already in a relationship. Of course with my type of luck, love usually takes a third route and allows me to see the person of my affection with the person that they adore, thus metaphorically kicking my heart in the groin with a steel toe boot and a running start. Needless to say, love sucks.

Now of course if you're among the regular people of the world, then by all means go enjoy this movie about how mystical and life changing seventeen is. Even I, a jaded twenty year old whose nearly convinced that he'll die insane and alone, have to admit that there is something beautiful about a coming of age story. Seeing a young adult experience the world, unmolested by the bad and willing to embrace the good, does provide a nice feeling. That is until I remember my late teen years were filled with heartbreak and realizations that made me question my very existence. Oops. I've gotten depressing again. My bad. I'll just end it here.

Thanks for reading.