I realize that I have not written for this blog in a long time, and I am sorry for that. I intend to write much more in the coming months. Though there should be no excuses as to why I have not taken advantage of such an opportunity, I have managed to find some. I have come to the conclusion that the reason I have not contributed is because I am, in fact, a teenager. In saying this I only mean that I have been occupied with my own development and that I have been changing and coming into myself. I do believe I have matured a lot in the last few months. I have learned much about myself and about those who surround me. Not only this, but I have learned a lot about Windsor, Ontario, the place I call home.
Windsor, though not the most popular city, is quite interesting. As it should be with any city, the people are what make it so. The artists, the teachers, the businessmen and women, the news reporters, the authors, the hairdressers, the city workers and more all contribute to the beauty of Windsor, or rather its aesthetic appeal. You see, at first glance, Windsor may seem like a miniature New York. With every coming Monday, the streets are filled with cars and people heading to work or to school. There never ceases to be someone going somewhere. Everyone seems to have a purpose. Everyone seems to know where they want to go and when they have to be there but, no one ever asks “Why?” No one stops and asks “Why am I going there?” I think this question summarizes Windsor quite well. It is the image of success and productivity; Windsorites are always working and moving closer to their final destination, without really knowing where that is.
The Windsor I have just described is what I assume most teenagers see. As a result we have become obsessed with knowing the answer. We need to know “why”. Our incredible desire to understand has become enough to drive some mad and to make others stop caring altogether. However, there are many young people in this city who remain determined to know “why”. For them, understanding is a necessity. These young Windsorites are among the most productive and active people in the community.
Despite such productivity, these young people are constantly bombarded with new ideas and new questions. Not only do these teens fuss over “Why?” but they begin to fuss over “How?” as well. These questions, combined with the overwhelming and perpetual anxiety that comes with planning for their future, are one of the main reasons for the uncertainty among teenagers. Whether it be about what they want or how they feel, it is rare to find a teen who is one hundred percent sure about everything.
Essentially, Windsor is a mess of things, one that greatly affects its youth. Every person is connected and whether this connection is acknowledged or not, it exists. The influence others may have on an individual is immeasurable. This influence is particularly strong among teens. We watch adults, both successful and not so successful, in an attempt to understand the “Why?” and “How?” of their situations and later our own. All this to say, teenagers are impressionable, let us not give them the wrong one.
~ Joy