Values of a Teenage Girl by Casey O.

I don’t think that society realizes how much the U.S. has been sucked into the advertising world. Many people fall into the state of mind that you’re not anybody unless you own certain things. Diamonds are glamorous, but the amount of “bling” you have does not make you more of a person, then a person with no “bling” at all. Valuing something is your own opinion, but when opinions are set, trends will soon follow. Sure, everyone follows a trend, it’s just human nature. But, if you have nothing that you believe in by yourself, you’re just another person standing in the crowd.

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As I sit in the car with my Grammy, who finally allowed me to sit in the front seat, I look back on all the times that I’ve had with her. I have come to realize, as I’ve grown up, that this women driving next to me is one of the strongest people I will ever meet. She gives the best advice anyone could ever give me, comes from a long life full of experience, and hates not one single soul on this planet. She lives to see her family smile, and crumbles when they are nothing but happy. She is generous and heartwarming, the written definition of what a Grandma should be. The amount of love I have for her, I can’t even explain. There is one moment though that always comes to my mind when I think about my Grammy. There is one certain time I will always hold on to, and never let go of, even after she is long gone.

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With my hands hidden inside my purse I have yet to think about if the teachers have caught on yet. No, I haven’t been “talked to”, but they give me the eyes every now and then. I am secretly texting away to my friends. Some on the other side of the school, some just a class away, some not in school at all. I have mastered the art of texting without looking at the small 2 inch screen in which the letters appear on. In my hands is something so small, but worth so much more. Yes, it actually isn’t worth that much. I will admit my cell phone isn’t the Rolls Royce of the cell phones, but it gets the job done. I have come to realize though, that without my cell phone, it’s as though I’ve lost my big toe.

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I was sitting in the car with my mom, and she told me we were going to my Grammy’s house. I wasn’t really all that thrilled, seeing I was just coming from soccer and all I really wanted to do was go home and shower, but I acted as though I was okay with it. My Mom and I hadn’t really been “nice” to each other lately, and were getting into catty fights over the littlest things, but none of that really mattered I had guessed once we had gotten in the car together. Stepping into my Grammy’s house you always remember one thing, “DON’T LET THE CATS OUT”. I’ve heard it since I was 1, and still hear it to this day. But something was different about this visit to my Grammy, something was in the air.

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My cell phone has died, and I don’t know what to do. It’s the middle of F Block and I don’t’ know how I’m going to make it through G Block. I guess I should have charged it up last night. Whatever, just one more block and then I am home free. All of the sudden an announcement goes over the loud speaker telling us to evacuate the building. My F Block grabs all of their stuff and we head for the door. Happens to be that we have to leave school, and me with no cell phone is left to scavenge around just to call my dad. Not only is a cell phone good as a social thing, but it is also good in case of an emergency. I think that is why I’ve had one since I was in 6^th grade.

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That night my Grammy gave me all the advice I could ever ask from her. She told me how I should respect my mother, and not to fight back with her. She told me basically everything she knew about how a daughter should act towards her mother. I left my Grammy’s house crying, but not because I was upset. I was crying because I felt bad that not only did I make my mother feel terrible, I had my Grammy disappointed in the way I acted. That is the moment I will never forget. That is one moment I will hold onto, due to the fact that not only was she disappointed but she also was loving and caring, and still gave the best advice that she could ever give.

Sometimes, in life we loose track of the things we value most. Whether it be your Grammy’s good advice, or your precious cell phone that you use constantly use behind teachers backs. You need to remember where your values come from and what they mean in the long run. Some values are priceless that you can’t even put a dollar amount on, while others may just cost a few dollar signs. Everyone’s in titled to their own opinion on how they value things, but you shouldn’t loose track of the greater things in life.