Caught ya!

I love catching teenagers, when they think no one is watching, acting like the genuine individuals they really are. It's so easy to just get pissed off when you see "a group of them" sit down next to you on the train and expect them to be loud and obnoxious -- which is probably they so often decide to meet this expectation by acting accordingly.

But sometimes they don't realize anyone is watching. I usually catch them walking to my office from the train in the morning, when they're headed in the same direction on their way to school. Or sometimes the train will be particularly empty. Usually it happens if there are just 2 or 3 of them. It's typically whenever the need to put on a show is that much less. It's like quietly sneaking up behind a family of deer in the woods and, by staying perfectly still, you can watch them in their true nature as a completely third-party observer. They're just so REAL! And they make me smile and want to grab them and cry out, "Act this way all the time! And, if you already do, get your friends to do the same!"

Tonight I was walking home from the train station and a few were discussing, "the amazing doors or opportunity that scholarships open up for you." YES!

Or, on the way to the train after work, three were discussing how ostracized they felt in class when their teacher only called on and offered supportive comments to the most intelligent student. I wanted to ask who their teacher was so I could go give him/her a lesson in positive youth development.

Or, the other day, three of them on their way to class, with the neatest polka dot and plaid book bags and the most meticulous of outfits, discussed an upcoming history project with sincere interest and excitement.

HaHa!!! Caught ya!

Also, my sister is AWESOME.