My neighborhood sucked when I was kid. When I was 12 there were a lot of single moms working all day while we, 12 year olds, just barely old enough not have to pay someone to watch all day, ran the world. Well as much as the 13 year olds would allow us anyway. There was chaos, and mayhem and all started by curious eyes who just last year were watched more closely. Freedom while a liberating feeling becomes a great responsibility and this is when you start to learn how important it is to actually be responsible for your actions. Oddly enough it is taught in a way that while parents may not actually approve of comes through loud and clear. Mistakes, the master teacher, we find her with new eyes. Learning to respect her and our path and life, sometimes forgetting to respect that of those older than us, moms and dads and those who later we learn maybe actaully did know something about what we were going through regardless of how much we hid what we were actually doing.
I do believe we go through the same thing no matter what we are doing, or where we are. This is the last steps of children and first steps of something new, a teenager. You test the waters but not with an undaring toe, you jump in, like you should, both feet and past your head.
I am not sure how much to tell you about my actual 12th year, you are a mother and you probably would not understand. It would sound harsh and strange and not really give you much comfort facing this summer. So i will keep it to myself and instead offer you and ear if and when you need to vent or confide or scream your frustrations.
Peace mommy,
Tony
