> I'm afraid. I'm afraid that the adolescents of my age will one day take over the world. Recently the faith I have had in teenagers has taken a sharp drop as I watch their festering media-rotten minds leak away any maturity, intelligence, emotion and ability they had left. I have always felt a little out of the crowd, and that may contribute to my blistering opinions of them, but I simply cannot comprehend what drives them to drink recklessly, smoke, toss their virginity out the window, and/or not care at all about anything that really matters in life. I just want to know if someone could help me understand these people.

Okay, I now have time to actually devote time, thought, and energy to my response, so I shall. I am also very often very upset about the state of the current teenagers. I know all too many people who, as you so bluntly put it, "drink recklessly, smoke, toss their virginity out the window, and/or not care at all about anything". And it depresses and frightens me just as much as it depresses and frightens you. I can't help you understand that section of teenagers, at least not without getting very very deep into my own religious beliefs, which could take a while... but I would like a chance to open your eyes to the rest of the teenagers in the world, the ones who AREN'T drinking, smoking, having sex.... the ones who I won't mind having rule the world someday.

First off, take the Rinkworks clan of teenagers... I mean, really, not to be big-headed or anything, but we're all (with the occasional lapse and/or exception) intelligent, caring, funny, good kids with big plans (as long as you discount... wait, never mind, can't tell about that). Although I don't know for sure, I bet most of us don't fit under your umbrella teenage description. If there are more like us, we're in good shape - and even if there aren't, hey, the 10 or so of us could easily take over the world.

But I know there are, because I know many of them. The guys in my youth group have broken just about every teenage guy stereotype that exists (except the all guys are dense one... no wait, one of them DID break that). These are guys I put complete trust in, and I know that someday they'll do awesome things.

My older brother - well, I could go on and on about him. He's THE most amazing guy I know. He doesn't drink, doesn't smoke, doesn't have sex... again, he's outside your teenage box, and he's far above it, too.

I could go on for apges about the awesome teenagers I know... and I don't know that many people. I guess my point is that you've got things turned around. I think the teenagers who have got things together, who do care about the important things, far outnumber those who are getting themselves into trouble. you just have to look for them. we're the ones in the majority here, THEY'RE the ones who are on the outside looking confused. And I truly believe that.

uni"shine, make 'em wonder what you've got, make 'em wish that they were not on the outside looking bored"peg