Oh, you’re finally hitting your teenagehood!
My mother has said this to me about a million times.
And I hate it . . .
Mostly because it feels so true.
I am in the throes of passion, rebellion,
frustration at the world at large,
irritation with several specific people in the world at large.
And reliving all this—again—is no more fun
than it was the first time.
I suppose I should consider myself lucky—
Some people don’t seem to make it past the age of 2.
But I’d really like to be an adult someday.
Trust myself. Be comfortable with the body that sometimes seems well past its 31 years and the emotions that are perennially stuck at 14.
I’d like to be responsible. No waffling. No squirming.
I live up the road from FDR’s house, and almost every day for several weeks now I’ve had to drive by one of Eleanor’s quotes they’ve got posted out front: “Determine one’s position, state it bravely, and then act boldly.”
To which my response is usually: “Grrrrrrrrr.”
But that just reminds me of my cat Golda growling as she looks out the window, and my mother going outside to chase away the cat that’s causing Golda’s anxiety. My mother can’t find the cat, so she comes back inside only to realize that, in the dim light, Golda is, in fact, growling at her own reflection.
Diana Klein 
Heee, heee, how often have I shouted at my own reflection? How often do my kids yell at ME because they are mad at themselves? Perhaps that you can recognize you are yelling at yourself is half the battle? On the other hand, how often have I heard that about “half the battle” and wanted to yell out…it only seems like a small percentage of the battle!!! Oh, and if irritation at specific people in the world is a teenage thing…I guess I never grew up either! Waffling is something I am good at too…I believe in you and I enjoy these columns…here’s hoping my rambling responses are not too annoying to you!
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Never! I love that you have found so much to which you can relate. Glad to know it’s not just Golda and me.
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Thanks Diana. This speaks to me, especially today. The last bit is very, very loverly.
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Right there with you! Changing ages all the time. My 96 year old mother-in-law can still be a rebellious teenager, too!
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And you do indeed act boldly, dear Diana! I love the image of Golda growling at her reflection. Don’t we all?? You share with such grace!
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