Pearls of Teenage Wisdom

There was an article in Washington Post Magazine not long ago entitled "What Is Your Teen Thinking?"  It said that the part of the brain that thinks ahead and considers consequences hasn't yet been developed in teenagers' brains.  In other words: nothing new.

A few days later, I brought the magazine and much of the rest of my newspaper to school.  My speech students wrote storytelling speeches inspired by something they found in the newspaper.  One young man found the magazine article and said, "'What Is Your Teen Thinking?'  Is this all about sex?"

I told him, "It's actually about the fact that your brain doesn't consider the ramifications of stupid decisions."

He thought for a moment and said quietly, "C'mon.  You and I both know that's the same thing."