Friday, November 23, 2007

Sunday Scribblings - Misspent Youth


I was anxiously awaiting for Sunday Scribblings to release their prompt this week, as I felt like posting something and the Internet was very quiet and event-less.

This week we're writing about us when we were kids. Misspent youth reminds me of a Smashing Pumpkins song. I'm wondering if there is such a thing as a misspent youth and I doubt it. Whatever you did or didn't do it was an important learning experience. It's true that Youth doesn't "come back", it is gone forever, supposedly...Who the hell says so? I think I can be young as long as I feel like it, and believe me, I do...in an old sort of way.

I don't remember being a complete KID. I was always a little wise, a little shy, a little worried, a little more into adults than other kids. I always felt that I didn't really belong with the other kids, there was always something about me that was different from them: different habits, different feelings, different attitudes. So, in a way, when childhood ended and the tough adolescence came along...I was relieved. Because being a teenager you are "allowed" and you are expected to diverge, to have some quirks, act silly and start having your own opinions.

As a teenager, I don't regret any of the minutes I spent listening to loud music, writing on my journal, sobbing, yelling, having fits, laughing like a lunatic, gossiping, seducing, having silly chats, being myself and trying to be someone completely different at the same time...There was nothing misspent in that!

21 comments:

Shawna said...

I think you have made a very valid point here. I know that I have learned much from my "youth" days.

Crafty Green Poet said...

I agree with you about the learning experiences and like you too I always felt different. I wish I'd been able to listen to more loud music when I was young, my parents didn't like me listening to it.

Anonymous said...

Music, teenage angst were least of my worries. I was more concerned about learning. Which I did by asking questions.

I still listen to LOUD rock music!

Tumblewords: said...

I think if I were that age again, I'd probably do the same things - not sure I learned much. Grin. Nice post.

Devil Mood said...

Shawna: I'm sure you have, reading your post. Thanks for dropping by.

Crafty: I don't think any parent likes their children's loud music ehehe except some don't mind so much...

Just Jen: Not me, I don't know anything about html, I just got this done from the internet. :) Yes, loud music cheers us up, doesn't it?

Gautami: Yes, learning is what youth is all about, isn't it? (in one way or another...) :)

Tumblewords: That's the spirit! Good for you :)

Patois42 said...

How nice that you grew into yourself as you entered the teens. And the music I listen to now is remarkably loud, mainly because I misspent my teen and young adult years in too many concerts. Experiences I'd never give back.

paisley said...

i wish i could believe that you are only as old as you feel... somehow no matter how young i feel... i think the rest of the people know how old i really am.....

Devil Mood said...

Patois: Did that make you slightly deaf? lol bad joke, sorry! Live shows are also a very important part of a well-spent youth :)

Paisley: So what if they do? Are they going to stop you from doing whatever you want? I hope not :)

Niall young said...

I think your childhood was money well spent..you have a richness my friend and a wisdom that curiously enough prompts me to remark that it's something money can't buy!

Anonymous said...

Totally agree! Love your scribble!

x said...

i was like that too and my son is like that also, but i used to be a happy kid -more or less- and he looks happy too, so i don't see any problem with being a weird little kid!

Devil Mood said...

Niall: Oh, you got me blushing, thanks for that :)

Secret Agent Mama: Thanks and thanks for dropping by!

Chloe: It might be harder while we're younger but I guess it gives us a better preparation to the real world - an ability to adapt, to adjust, maybe.

DJPare said...

Sounds like a normal kid to me.

Anonymous said...

Tho I hated being a teenager more than anything...the lessons learned still resonate. I think leaving home at 16 years old made me tired prematurely.
However, now that I'm 30 I feel younger than I ever did! Probably because I am learning how to let go of what bothers me, is unnecessary, etc.
Great post! It's very sweet to think of a little DevilMood child out in the world. I bet you were a nice kid.

Devil Mood said...

Djpare: Looking back, it seems that way. Back then, not so much ;)

Chrispito: oh lol, thanks. I looked a lot like Emily, the girl from the picture. I bet you learnt a lot of lessons by 16, it can't have been easy...And you also moved a few things out of the way, so you could move on with your life.

sirbarrett said...

I think being a youth is having that sense that you are still growing, that there are unknowns and that you have fun with life even if you're not yet where you want to be in it. "To enter the kingdom of heaven you must become like a child" is a biblical notion that youthfulness is curiosity, and it propels you towards a kind of immortality. I think if you can always look forward to something you can consider yourself young. I even know some seventy year olds that make me wonder whether they aren't reliving their youths all over again...or maybe because they have to catch up on things now that they didn't do before because those moments were "wasted"? I like the age game when people try to guess how old others are. I'm often surprised! But that just shows how we assign value to different phases in our lives when we're busy defining ourselves one way or distinguishing ourselves from another. Interesting thoughts. Btw thanks for visiting my blog.

Devil Mood said...

Sirbarret: Thanks for dropping by, as well. You made a quite a few interesting points yourself. Some people do seem to grow "younger" when they age, they do the process the other way around. I definitely agree that it all comes down to your atitude :)

Prats said...

**As a teenager, I don't regret any ....

Thank god for that!!! U said it right....don't regret, just learn from whatever U did....and its nice to hear you've lived ur life and are happy about it

Devil Mood said...

Prats: Thanks. That's one of the things I hope for my future - not having regrets. They're completely useless anyway :)

phish said...

oh. hello. and i agree. my life was made up of all these and a little dog. and an obsession with good handwriting.

i am back though. if only for awhile.

Devil Mood said...

Phish: I think you're a teaser. You come back with your great posts and then you're gone again. Good handwriting? That's interesting. I love handwriting too and I wrote so much when I was a teenager that eventually it got better and better :)