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When
I came home from schol today I had it all
figured out that I was definitely going to
have a conversation with my parents about
Chaz. Only it wasn't going to be a
screaming scene/power battle like last
time. No way! This time I was just going
to talk to them very calmly and let them
know how I felt. I wasn't going to blame
them for their narrow mindedness... I
wasn't even going to talk about their
feelings or how I felt about their
feelings. I was simply going to tell them
what I planned to do, which, simply put,
is this: I'm going to live my own life! I
figure that if I don't ask them for their
permission then they won't have an
opportunity to say "No." And I really
don't need their permission. It's
ridiculous to think that I do. I mean,
this is a democracy, right? And I"m a
citizen, so that means, even though I
am legally dependent on my
parents... wait a minute, as a minor do I
have any rights at all? I know I can't
vote and I can't sign a binding contract
(I learned that from a Business Law
elective I took last year at my old
school) but still, I must have some
rights. Don't I?
You
know, now that I think about it, I'm not
sure that I do. I mean, if my parents
abandoned me or are negligent in their
care of me in some way, I know there are
such things as Children's Protective
Services and that come in and can take
kids away from parents who are doing a
lousy job. Does that mean that all I am
guaranteed is protection, but I
don't actually have any rights of my own?
What does that make me in the eyes of the
law? A helpless animal!? Some kind of
creature without any ability to make
decisions of my own? Pretty
depressing!
After
fuming over that reality for a while I
decided that it didn't make any sense to
Declare my Independence from my parents.
At least not until I'm 18 and really do
have some guaranteed legal rights.
Instead
I logged on to The InSite chat to see if I
could find someone interesting to talk to.
(I'm still not allowed to use the phone).
Computers are all right though because my
parents think that anything you do on a
computer that requires typing, has to be
educational (well, not everything, but I
don't own any games). I'm glad they think
so.
Anyway,
as soon as I popped into The InSite chat I
met this guy named Elvin. He said he was
from London and was 18. I don't remember
how it happened ... (Oh yes I do! We were
talking about teen rights, how could I
forget that?) And then we started having a
one to one conversation. It was really
cool! I never met anyone on the Internet
that was so easy for me to talk to. (He
types really fast too and so do I. I think
that's cool). We talked so easily about so
much stuff that I felt I was having a
reunion with an old friend instead of just
meeting someone new. We spent about an
hour and a half online and exchanged email
addresses. Before we said good night we
arranged to meet online tomorrow night,
same time, same place.
While
I was brushing my teeth and couldn't stop
thinking about this guy in London. He has
his own flat and works part time in an art
gallery while he goes to art college. He's
not that much older than me but he's so
independent. He said that if I was ever in
London I should visit him. As if my
parents would ever let me. But wait! I'll
be 18 in a few years and then I won't need
their permission for anything.
As
I was setting my alarm clock I glanced
into the open drawer of my night table.
There was the poem that Chaz left in my
locker. When I saw it I felt a little
guilty. But I don't know why I should. And
It's not like I did anything wrong. I was
just talking to this guy on the internet.
Is that cheating?
What
do you think?
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