"Let's see how strong this little 'rebellion' is." I walked to my son's door and knocked. "I know you don't feel like talking to me, but I wanted to let you know there's pie in the kitchen." I set up the plates and took out the pie, and was very happy to hear the creak of his door. -- Anon Guest
Teenagers had to be the most misunderstood age grouping in the world. They were given all the responsibilities of adulthood but one - the responsibility to make their own decisions for themselves. They were expected to act like adults whilst simultaneously being treated like children. Worse, entire crowds of people were smothering them with conflicting instructions, escalating expectations, and endless insultations.
In a period where biology demanded they rest in order to grow and develop, society demanded that they work as if they were already fully grown. The response to science revealing that teenagers operated best later in the morning, that the human brain absorbed information in smaller bites... was to set earlier school hours and longer classes for more hours. Blend all of that with the growing awareness that the previous generation expected them all to fix the world that their elders wrecked... and the famous teen attitude was a natural consequence.
Attitude like the one that came slouching, slinking, resentfully glaring from his room to the kitchen counter stool. It was the sullen smile that broke at the sight of the garnish on the waiting slice of pie. A flag toothpick, bearing a stylised dove with an olive branch on a white field. The parley flag. I said, "I'm listening."
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