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Monday, August 6, 2012

Teenagers in the 'hood

It was pretty quiet in the neighbourhood when I was home sick last week. But around
noon that day, I was upstairs, & I could hear voices/laughter. It seemed to be coming from nearby, but I couldn't see anyone when I looked out the window (although some of the view is blocked by our garage & the neighbours' garages).

I came downstairs to get some lunch & was in the kitchen -- and all of a sudden, I saw a young boy (about 14 -- someone I've seen occasionally hanging around with the Little Girl Next Door) jumping over the split-rail fence that separates our yard from the next-door neighbours', & running across my front yard, down our driveway and down the street, looking over his shoulder at one point.

I thought, "OK, NOW what?? What has he been up to?" I opened the front door a crack -- & there were two or three other young guys, standing on LGND's doorstep.

I quietly closed the door again. And tried not to laugh. (Too much.) I didn't see LGND, but I am thinking she was either there & had been talking to them, through a crack in the door or through the front window, or they were just knocking on the door to see if she was home.

LGND, as I've written before, is six months younger than Katie would have been -- i.e., 13 years old. 

The other night, I had brought some work home with me and was upstairs in our "office," when again, I heard a lot of giggling, squealing & "Nooooo!"s. I looked out the window & saw LGND and her gaggle of girlfriends, standing out front, cellphones glowing in the twilight.

Today, I was at the kitchen sink, and a boy came riding his bike down the sidewalk, peering intently at our house as he passed.  I wondered why he was so interested in our house. Then I recognized him -- it was the same boy from last week. He wasn't looking at our house, he was looking at LGND's -- probably trying to ascertain if she was home or catch a glimpse of her.

Yes, we have teenagers in the 'hood. ; )

When I told dh, he rolled his eyes & muttered a few choice words about how LGND was way too young for this kind of thing, etc. etc.  LGND used to adore him (as most little girls do);  these days, of course, she's usually with one of her friends or absorbed in pecking at her cellphone, so we're lucky to get a perfunctory wave as we pass each other coming and going.

Having been a teenaged girl once myself, I think he's being rather harsh... of course, he insists that Katie would NEVER have been like THAT. Yeah, right... ;  )

5 comments:

  1. Oh, there's a real fly on the wall situation *g* I couldn't imagine being a teenager these days.

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  2. "Cellphones glowing in the twilight."

    Wha a gorgeous phrase.

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  3. This past week I had my 14 and 17 year old nephews staying with us. It was so fun to watch and also made me a bit relieved that we don't have teenagers. All they think about are girls...and all they do is talk to girls or text girls - I mean constantly! We made sure to keep them busy - so far as taking them places that didn't have cell phone range. It was so funny to watch their moods change because they couldn't 'keep tabs' on the girls.

    I had a blast with them but I am amazed at how times have changed from when I was their age to now. I guess I am getting old as I am appalled at what they know at such a young age. Yes, grateful that I don't have teenagers.

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  4. At least these days you see cellphones glowing in the dark, not cigarettes. Have you read the Daily Mail article about/by Maeve Binchy and how they used to entertain teenagers? It made me laugh ... and tuck away a few hints for when my niece gets old enough to come and stay.

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-1059797/This-Life-How-Maeve-Binchy-childless.html

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  5. Cellphones! I remember I used to wear a radio around my wrist! OMG!

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