The Date Debate

So, Presley and I were driving back from Olive Branch, listening to a little Taylor Swift. "Fifteen" came on, and she let me know she would be 15 in only 8 years (really, 7 but I'll take 8!) We weren't really debating could she date. Ryan Fontenot said once that if you were not responsible enough to keep your room clean, you weren't responsible enough to date. So, if that's the case, Presley probably won't be dating till she's 30.

Anyway, listening to Taylor got me to thinking- (I would have LOVED her if she'd been around when I was a teenager!)

The reason I would have liked her so much, is that I would have totally identified with her and most of her songs. As I was listening, I went back to when I was just fifteen, and would have probably cried myself to sleep listening to "White Horse." I wanted to be the princess and have the prince come in on the white horse. When I was 16, I thought he had, only to be left crying in the castle. Around 17, I might have been singing the one about either burning some pictures or telling him not to call after I'd figured out the lies. I could go on............

I remember making myself even more miserable after a 'break-up" by going and intentionally finding the love songs that would make me cry the hardest. I was a glutton for punishment! (Granted, I do love 80's music to this day, especially some Journey or Chicago!)

Of course I didn't realize it then, but now I see how low my self-esteem was and how much I thought I HAD to have a boyfriend to be something. At times, especially 8th-9th grade, it seemed all my friends did, but I felt like the ugly duckling, or ugly step-sister and would never find "wuv, twu wuv!"

Why I thought I needed to find true love at the age of 15, I don't know. Or even 16, 17 or 18.

I see so much of this in girls today. They are sometimes consumed with the idea of love, like I was. I don't think I really ever learned that I could be me, or who God would have wanted me to be without having all that drama. It sure wasn't necessary. Instead, it caused a lot of hurt and pain, mostly for me. Our high school principal, Mark Smith, use to tell us that we're just giving little pieces of our hearts away in dating around so much. I really didn't want to hear that, and remember one instance, refusing to. Even if you never give anything away physically, you still do damage emotionally.

So, I say all of this, to anyone who may be like I was. Save yourself in every way for the one God has for you for life. Give yourself instead, to HIM while you wait. He is the one who loves you more than you can possibly imagine.

I think I'll probably discourage Presley from listening to Taylor- and maybe we won't get to cleaning her room over spring break!