I hear many parents complaining that their teenage children are rebelling. I wish it were so. At your age, you ought to be growing from your parents. You should be learning to stand on your own two feet. But take
a good look at the present rebellion. It seems that teenagers are all taking the same way of showing that they
disagree with their parents. Instead of striking out boldly on their own, most of them are clutching (抓紧) at
one another"s hands for reassurance.
They claim they want to dress as they please, but they all wear the same clothes. They set off in new
directions in music, but somehow they all end up huddled round listening the same record. Their reason for
thinking or acting in thus and such a way is that the crowd is doing it. They have come at of their cocoon (蚕
茧) into a larger cocoon.
It has become harder and harder for a teenager to stand up against the popularity wave and to go his or her
own way. Industry has firmly carved out a teenage market. These days every teenager can learn from the
advertisements what a teenager should have and be. And many of today"s parents have come to award high
marks for the teenager who wants to find his or her own path.
But the barrier is worth climbing over, the path is worth following. You may want to listen to classical music
instead of going to a party. You may want to collect rocks when everyone else is collecting records. You may
have some thoughts that you don"t care to share at once with your classmates. Well, go to it, find yourself, be
yourself Popularity will come with the people who respect you for who you area. That"s the only kind of
popularity that really counts.