Like a Teenage Girl

When I was in 2nd grade I couldn't read. Looking back, I was a hopeless and chaotic child that was most likely undiagnosed with ADD. Oh well. My Mom basically told Ms. Dixon, and the rest of my school, "Shhhhh, don't tell her. She will have to figure out how to learn with this issue of hers." I did. I remember that 2nd grade year more vividly than all the rest. Ms. Dixon worked me hard and good until I loved to read. By the 4th grade I was reading anything and everything you put in front of me. By 6th grade, my sister was in high school reading all sorts of high school literature and well beyond any reading list any teacher gave her. Because Mrs. Smith was reading advanced things for her age with my Annie and Mom, I followed suit and started to read along with them. Not so unfortunately, I skipped reading all of those teen books filled with nonsense and girls worried about pimples. I was comparing the works of Jane Austin and gushing over my newly signed copy of To Kill A Mockingbird. Not your average tween. Thus my theory was formed. I read all of the intellectual books that would be on a regular college seniors work load at the age of 15 so now I am playing catch up to all of the dumb and mindless literature I should have read between the ages of 9-13. 

Example 1#:

Mom was reading the Harry Potter series and I thought she was an idiot. I was too busy reading the Formative Years of Freud. A couple of years later I picked up Harry Potter because I was bored over my Christmas break having read all 10 of my holiday books, and fell in love. I read them all religiously. When the last book was released, I was the twenty-something standing in line with my cape, wand, book, awaiting my certificate of graduation from Hogwarts and a petrified Phoenix tear. (Really it's a rainbow ribbon with a plastic chunk attached to it....it is very meaningful) I was that girl.

Example 2#:

I love all teen girl movies. Mrs. Smith and I cannot get enough of them, and I squirm with delight when they come out on video or On Demand. We are the only so-called "Adults" I know that have an infatuation with awkward teenage moments. Literally, I get a suspicious high when seeing them fall, get a pimple, or get a date. I LOVE IT! 

Example 3#: (Most important as I am currently trying to keep my mind distracted for enough time to not think about this for one minute...so far, not successful)

I constantly feel like I need to keep in touch with my teen base because they are a large population that I will be working with in my practice. Really, I use this as an excuse to read and watch everything teen related:( Anyway, a bunch of my kids were talking about this series of books about vampires that they love, called Twilight. Intrigued, I asked a few of my fellow classmates at St. Martin if they had heard of it, they said yes but didn't give many details. On a whim, I bought the first book on Friday and decided I would give it a try. Holy Shit! I'm in love and hooked. I cannot rave enough about these books and to be quite honest I can't really tell you why. They are intriguing and fantastic and I know why my kids think they are so great. Teens find themselves comparing themselves to vampire because teens think they are indestructible and vampires are. Very complicated concept, but believe it or not, resea

rch has show this to be true. Besides the point, I'm a suedo teenage girl and found myself done with the book in two days whilst completely ignoring Dave and gushing about the details of Bella and Edward to the teenage girls of the YMCA. I'm cool Teacher Taylor now. I spent 2 hours talking to 5 girls about how dreamy Edward is, when a Mom came to intervene and told me she thought it was nice of me to "play along" like I had read the book and enjoyed it in hopes to connect with kids on a deeper level. I have yet to tell her that I lead that conversation and I'm a groupie for Twilight. 

Anyway, get out and read it. I liked it and can't wait until Amazon delivers the next 3 books in 2 days even if I did pay $24 for them to be rush shipped! Happy teenage reading to you all:)

PS I pre-ordered my movie tickets to see Twilight the movie when it opens on Friday. I literally have butterflies when I think about how great it is going to be.