Tired of being young...

It has grown old being young. I am probably more sensitive then most others to the issue of the "problem" and "loser" teen for a number of reasons--I'm not that far in age from them, I know so many who still are that age, I've worked with many of these teens, and yet I still feel the discrimination for my age.

As I said in the online chat tonight, I remember not too many years ago when, as a teenager, I would go the library. The attitude, response, level of respect, and overall treatment by the librarians was vastly better when my mother was there than when I chose to go by myself. But yet, I did the same thing no matter who was there with me, I returned books, found books, maybe asked a question or two, and checked out books. When, as a teenager, you are treated with suspicion and like someone who is going to cause trouble the moment you walk in somewhere, most teenagers will follow through.

For two summers while I was in college I was a staff member for an Upward Bound program. Upward Bound is a Dept. of Education program for high schoolers who come from low-income families and are potential first generation college students. Most students brought in a lot of baggage and many problems, but once you got to know them and gave them a chance they were wonderful people. If you didn't give them a chance or were always yelling at them or treating them like convicted juvenile delinquents (like some staff members did), they were terrors. Treat them like humans and find ways to channel their energy, they were great.

As I said above, I'm rather sensitive, maybe even bitter about this issue. I've been working in my college library while I was a student and since I've graduated for a number of years now. Maybe it's my own personal fault, but I have grown rather tired of my co-workers (all middle-aged women) treating my like their child instead of their co-worker. I was hoping that would change when I became a full time staff person there instead of just a work study student, but I was wrong. I still remember the confused and slightly scared look on the face of one of them when I told her than we would be equals when I became a staff member, she wouldn't supervise me anymore (she had, because she supervised the work study students) and that I would report to the library director.

But with all that said, I'm not sure what I can do to change this. Any direct effort I make will just get me labeled as rebellious or a trouble making youth trying to challenge the established leadership of those my elder. That is not my intention at all. I respect the fact they are older and have more experience than me--all I'm asking is that they show me and my generation a little respect in return.