3/1994 W.H.TAFT HS What is " teenage love ? " How is it ------------------------------------ different from " grown-up " love ? ------------------------------------ Do you think teen love is possible ? ------------------------------------ Teenage love is like a learning experience toward adult love. Teenage love is prelimenary procedure that teaches teens life and love. It prepares them for the great importance of moral, family life and values if they decide to get married. Teenage love can occur from different reasons. For example: From mutual respect for each other, from any similarities between two individuals, something in commen they share and from natural, biological changes that happen in teenage body that transforms it from childhood to adulthood called puberty. During that time teens experience a lot of biological changes in their bodies. It is the period at which sexual maturity is reached and " love " might kick in around that time. That so called " love " is not perfect, true and experienced yet. That special feeling could be only imaginatory and temporary. Love is not what you can do in bed, that's too easy. Love is the respect you have for that someone special, it's the caring, sharing, giving and that strong, burning sensation in your heart. When teenagers start to experience adulthood, they start to think about sex. Now sex is a part of love but it's not the most important thing. Love and sex go together but I believe teens should wait until marriage before they loose their holy virginity, because many unexpected problems might arise in their lives. Eventually it can turn out that the lover doesn't love you but only uses you, so that time is worth waiting for. You will build strong character and will for yourselfes. You will be proud and have honor, respect. If you have sex before marriage, then you should stay forever together and be commited to each other. For some that is tough. A boy or a girl that " scored " can not live her/his love alone, becuse if she gets pregant and he is not there to help her, she will experience great depression in her life. She might never trust another boy in her life again and worst of all she might decide to abort the baby, the living creature with a heartbeat and God-given soul, just like all of us. That kid will never enjoy this earthly life. And in the future if she gets married and she decides to have kids she might be unable to have/carry kids, because of the permanent damages from abortion. Abortion can also bring guilt, depression and death to a woman that chose it. Some other problems will be from family and friends, and that's humiliation and mistreatment. Aids and other diseases are possible and change in menthal health are at risks greatly as well. If your mind gets sick, even if you are healthy, that will not stay for long, because a healthy mind is a healthy body and healthy body is a healthy mind I always say. Having a family is great responsibility, and both individuals are equally responsible for their actions. They got brain, they are not animals. They can control their sexual pressure by thinking ahead and examining their lifes more in detail before it gets too late. So the best way to prevent all of this is abstinence. You can also get some help from God and health professionals to give you strenght, power, grace and wisdom, knowledge, guidance, leadership for your every day struggles in your lifes. The family is the backbone of our society. Children come from families and they are our planet's future, so they need to be thought about life, to love their neighbours like themselfes. If they learn to have respect for others, they will truly have virtuous love and teenage love would be possible based on their trust for each other but it will still differ(entiate) from "grown-up" love, because they need to provide full commitments to their lovers and that means work, a job that pays reasonable money that will support them, otherwise forget it. Don't count on your parents to support you all the days of their or your lifes. Get your education and go to work, because without work there is nothing at all. Life is not easy, it's not a game, so make the best out of it. Get your acts together. Enjoy life moderately! And remember: a fake, selfish love is the most dangerous experience, most dangerous game, so don't ever play with it ! Because love is fire, and it melts hearts away !!! SO: DON'T BE A FOOL, STAY IN SCHOOL, PLAY, LIVE YOUR LIFES COOL. BY: JAN LUBEK