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The Teen Behind the Mean
Cracking the Shell of Today's Tough Teens By Gina Roberts-Grey
Every morning, one of the teen boys in our neighborhood waits for the high school bus on my front lawn while everyone else waits in the driveway. Dressed each day in what appears to be the same pair of ripped and baggy black pants, a black T-shirt and untied sneakers, he always has a cigarette dangling from his bottom lip and headphones perched atop his head, blaring music that can be heard from several feet away. Sadly, this young man easily slides into one of the classic stereotypes of today's teens.
As soon as the bus rounds the corner, this teen casually flips his cigarette butt onto our lawn, tosses the remains of his breakfast also onto the lawn or in the street, leaves his soda bottle on top of my mailbox and goes to school. For weeks, I would head outside just minutes after the bus pulled away to clean up after a child who was a virtual stranger to us.
Although for the most part this young man is rarely seen around the neighborhood, his demeanor, bus stop actions and vocabulary have become notorious, prompting several parents to drive their children to school in order to avoid this young man's bus stop routine. His abrasive exterior and intimidating appearance have also prompted neighbors to caution me against asking him not to toss his debris into my yard or to intentionally stomp on my flowers for fear of retaliation.
"That kid's bad news," said one neighbor. "Stay away from him. He's always in trouble at school," offered another. Not even knowing his name, I figured that if I expected him to act like a respectful member of society, I should set the example and find a way to discuss the need to respect my property with him.
Despite the tough, stoic persona, one morning I decided I'd tactfully engage this teen in a conversation aimed at expressing my request of him not littering or destroying our landscape. Rake in hand, I began with the pretense of asking him to step aside while I cleared the carpet of autumnal leaves blanketing our lawn. His response, and our resulting conversation, provided an eye-opening glimpse into the mindset of today's tougher teens.