This Totem Poll
March 15, 2007
You know, a lot of people refuse to read my blog because I’m only 17. They assume that because I’m a teen, I’m far too immature and that I’ll complain too much. They think that because they are older then me, they are better then me and nothing I say is of any importance. They see the grammatical and spelling errors I make and scoff at my stupidity. Some of them are impressed by the mere fact that I don’t “talk lyke diss” when blogging, but they still think I have no idea what life is about. I don’t, but a lot of them don’t either.
Well, for just another stupid teen, I do know quite a lot. I know that you should never judge another person on how bad they have it because you just don’t know. You aren’t walking in their shoes, you can’t see how bad they have it (or don’t). Everyone deals with things differently, but they deal. You never know until you walk a day in their shoes. Even if you had the same problem (disorder, mental illness, or physical illness) you would deal with it completely different then say I would.
How do I know that people look down on me for being 17? Easy. The few times I’ve been reviewed by various sites, my age has always been a factor. There has always been at least one person dissing me up in the comments because I complain too much or my spelling and/or grammer isn’t perfect. They say I try to hard at being angsty, which is bull because angst comes as second nature to any teen. I’m instantly sub-categorized as a “Teen Blogger”, which apparently is way down there on the totem poll.
It’s funny because although I’m the one in high school, I judge less. I read any type of blog if the writings good and the person catches my interest with what they’re saying. I don’t cross people off if they are a certain age or blog about certain things. If its good, it’s good. I’ll read it if I like it. Sometimes I feel as if the people I frequently read are snubbing me because I’m 17. Weird eh? Normally I’d get told by all my regular readers that said person is probably busy with their own life, but considering said person replies to everyone but myself, I’d have to say that’s a pretty slim chance of said person being too busy and more of a chance that said person just doesn’t like me because I’m 17.
Really though, if I took out my age from my profile and deleted all hints that I was in high school, do you think I’d get more readers? Do you think me waving a sign above my head saying “NOT A TEENAGER!” would earn better respect? I think so, but I won’t do it. Why should I? I won’t change that much at 20, I’m nearly there now at 17 (going on 18 in June). I know what I want, I know who I am. Some days I doubt what I want and who I am, but thats like every other normal human being. It’s normal to be crazy sometimes. We have such a wide varity of emotions because we’re supposed to feel this much.
I’ve read a lot of blogs were adults complain in every post; where they write with an angsty tone and think the world is out to get them, so it isn’t just “us teens”. Although I still laugh at fart jokes and pick my nose when no one’s looking, I’m still pretty damn mature. I still have interesting things to say, things that those people who avoid me like the plague would read on someone elses blog and agree if that someone else was over the age of 26 with boobs starting to sag.
But I’m young, I’m experiencing a lot of things for the first time, so my experience doesn’t count in most people’s opinions. That’s fine I guess, you can’t please them all. All I have to say is don’t hate me ’cause I’m perky.
March 15th, 2007 at 9:22 am
< ![CDATA[You have a good point about the writing style, skills and subjects of bloggers many years your senior. Your posts make you seem much more mature than one would expect a seventeen year old to be.
Oh, BTW, I’m reading. Hi!]]>
March 15th, 2007 at 11:30 am
< ![CDATA[I would read you whether you were 17 or 70. Maybe not if you were 98 because then you might senile and drooling and I can't handle the drool! Ha! Seriously, I like reading you just because, has nothing to do with age! You rock sista!]]>
March 15th, 2007 at 11:39 am
< ![CDATA[Now do you mean perky as in your personality or as in your boobs?
On a serious note, you make some excellent points. You are more mature than many of the adults that I know personally, both in real life and online. And more mature than myself, of course!]]>
March 15th, 2007 at 1:08 pm
< ![CDATA[Perky and perty, I reckon.
Your spelling mistakes are just typos, aren’t they? ‘Cos your in such a hury to expres youself.]]>
March 15th, 2007 at 1:31 pm
< ![CDATA[That's really pretty interesting... especially the picking your nose part. Seeing as how I'm older... and still do it on occasion... does that make me an immature blogger?
Well if it does… at least I know I’m in good company…]]>
March 15th, 2007 at 4:27 pm
< ![CDATA[Great point. I'm 16 and have also discovered that many people cant take me seriously. At least we know who we are and that we are worth listening to. That's all that really matters in the end. =-)]]>
March 16th, 2007 at 7:02 pm
< ![CDATA[IMO, you're pretty articulate for a 17 year old. In fact, you're more articulate than some of the 25 year olds I know. As far as the angsty-ness (?) goes, I'm 40, and I still have some of those days.
Write what you enjoy, and those who like you will read it. As far as the rest of them? They can (you finish the sentence, girl!)]]>
March 20th, 2007 at 7:38 pm
< ![CDATA[My GOD, have you read that bitch Vulgar Wizard's blog yet? She sucks, man! Totally. She's all, "work sucks, blah blah blah, my husband is stupid, wah wah."
*ahem*]]>
June 19th, 2008 at 10:26 am
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