teen then

What do you want to do? Classic question. It doesn’t matter what age you are. I remember most vividly as a teenager.

“What do you want to do?”

“I don’t know what do you want to do?”

As a teen, here were my options.

• Go play basketball at the school.
• Go play basketball at the park.
• Go play basketball at the rec center.
• Go ride bikes.
• Go mess around by the pond at my grandparents house.
• Go listen to records at a friend’s house.
• Go shoot pool at a friend’s house.
• Go talk to a variety of kid’s in the neighborhood.

If alone, and not doing any of the above?

• Go read.

We are raising three teens right now. Let’s try my list on them.

Go play basketball at the school- they would have to jump the fence and might get jumped.

Go play basketball at the park- What park? Also, might get jumped.

Go play basketball at the rec center- It’s all leagues now.

Go ride bikes- Where? With cars coming by at 60 in a 35 zone?

Go mess around at their grandparent’s home- Texas, Wisconsin, Minnesota or Florida? Where and when?

Go listen to records- still an option, only CD’s or mp3’s on the computer.

Go shoot pool- Does that have a game controller attached?

Go talk to a variety of kid’s in the neighborhood- who would that be? The few teenagers who are close go to all different schools. Our kids know 3 friends who are within walking distance. Though they don’t walk. Here comes the mantra again. Might get jumped.

Teenagers don’t change much. The world around them does. What do they do?

Stay tuned.