By Taryn
Why can't things just stay open past 9:30pm on a Saturday night? I just want to go and have chocolate chip pancakes at IHOP after catching a movie at midnight. Is that really too much to ask? I never thought that I would be so desperate to turn 21 until I turned 17. Being 17 kinds of sucks. Scratch that, it is really awful. If you don't know how it feels, (or have just blocked that period out of your life for very good reasons), it is just an awkward difficult time in a person's life. You cannot vote, drink, get a tattoo, or really do anything awesome legally. Also, your parents think it is totally cool to play what I like to call the, "Mature Child" Card. The "Mature Child" card is what type parental behavior starts to kick in around let's say 16 or 17 years old. Adults want us to be grown up, but not too grown up. Parents, as well as other adults, tell you that you are too old to talk back or throw a fit, but also too young to stay out past 11 pm or sleepover at your significant other's house.
I know that parents have valid reasons for enforcing the rules that they do. Since all of us under-agers have to live with these strict regulations and laws, can we get some sort of compensation for it? My suggestion would be to just have places host more events for teens that are fun and different. Something other than movies and pizza would be just fabulous. Take my word for it, believe it or not most young people do not like whining or complaining. We know that our parents do not appreciate us expressing our teen angst in such an obnoxious verbal way. Being bored is hard. Being a teen is hard. Being a bored teen is hell.
Trying to find fun, new, legal activities to do, as an under-ager in Santa Barbara is a lot harder than you may think. Sure we have the beach, skate parks, and Yogurtland. These things are all wonderfully lovely. I appreciate all of these things, even if I cannot skateboard and have a fear of the ocean. Even with all of these activities and attractions I can still feel a large hole in the heart of my social life.
I am well aware that we have Isla Vista, and that can be a not so legal but still fun choice for young people who enjoy those types of activities. I do not personally enjoy the whole party scene. Actually I cannot say that. I can admit that I have not ever attended a legitimate party. You know the kind that is full of drugs, alcohol and such. This fact makes my parents very proud of me, but also makes my weekends pretty boring and uneventful. That is okay, but I still don't like it. I don't enjoy the feeling of having too much time on my hands. I just wish that there were things to do that would be legal, but also not totally lame. Movies and the beach are great, to an extent. They're great until you've spent too much money on popcorn, have too much sand in your shoes and start to believe that boredom is hell on Earth.
