Young Love

I am not an advocate of teenage romance.

Yesterday while listening to a radio on the way to work, a topic was brought up in he broadcast, triggered by a 13 year old dedicating a song to her boyfriend. The question posed was ‘Is 13 too young? What is the right age to start dating?’.

What I feared came true. Most ‘adults’ that called in (except for a few, very few sane ones) were saying 13 is too young. The right age? After Fifth Form. When they start earning a pay cheque. They should concentrate on their studies. The classic : when they have built a strong foundation, they will find someone. Crap. Explain ‘me’ please.

Gosh. Have these people never been teenagers? It is all self-denial, really. I do not believe these people never had their share of thwarted or otherwise, attempts at romance at that age. Mistakes? Tell that to the happily married couple for 30 years, who started their romance at 14.

What’s more upsetting is, how can you belittle the seriousness of the feelings of teenagers? If you are in their shoes, imagine the sweetness, the rush and the pain. How can you ignore this? How can you impose your staid, colourless world view, your cynicism on young minds and hearts? We all know for a fact they capable of such emotions. Sure it seems trivial to us adults. But emotion is not something to be trivialised. It should be treated with respect. Yes, they may be a tad immature. Guide them.

I am an advocate of love.

Give them a break. Be there for them instead. It is all part of growing up. The question should be, do you want to be part of it?