The Dichotomy of Teenagers!
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| Tue, 09-05-2006 - 12:01pm |
Just last weekend I wanted to wring DD's little neck because she waited until the last few days of summer vacation to finish her summer assignments.
How could she, in just a weeks' time, make me so proud I could just about burst?
The first Sunday of every month at church, a special Deacons' offering is taken for some sort of outreach or mission project. This past Sunday, being the first Sunday in September, the Deacons offering was to go to a homeless youth shelter in downtown San Diego. Earlier this year, the Youth Group had visited the shelter, bringing with them donations and supplies and food for a party.
5 minutes before the service was to start, the Youth Director came to DD and asked her if she would speak on the shelter before the offering. She instantly agreed and 45 minutes later she was standing in front of a packed church, speaking on her experience at the shelter and asking the congregation to give generously, because they were truly in need! And all without missing a beat!
Then later that evening, at the retirement dinner for our Pastor, during the salad course, the church Moderator approached DD and asked her if she would speak on behalf of the entire Youth Group and present him with a gift. To which she also, instantly agreed.
And after dessert, there she was, speaking in front of 150+ people, ("Hi everyone!") sharing her favorite memory of Pastor J, thanking him on behalf of the youth group for his presence and leadership, presenting him the gift from the rest of the youth, and then smiling and posing for pictures with him. No notes! No signs of nervousness! Most everyone was charmed by her poise and vivaciousness.
She knew for 2+ months about the homework and barely managed to pull it off and yet, twice in the same day, with less than an hours' notice, she pulls something like this off and charms the pants off of everyone. ???
It was own of those 'bowl me over with a feather' moments. Proud and baffled all at the same time. If I didn't know it was absolutely, positively the same child, and my own at that, on two different weekends, I'd think she had a twin.
Edited 9/5/2006 12:02 pm ET by hydrangea_blue
Edited 9/5/2006 12:15 pm ET by hydrangea_blue

Wow....considering that most people fear public speaking more than death I am very impressed! To speak at the drop of a hat, off the cuff, is an amazing skill to have and I hope that she keeps that skill and further nourishes it as she matures. That's amazing.
And as for the books...well....come on we ALL have our weaknesses now don't we? I'm sure if you were honest enough with yourself you could find something YOU don't do very well either, eh? In my case I hate housework, I eat too much and I haven't always managed my finances very intelligently. And I have a university degree and a job as a professional in senior management! So your daughter doesn't manage time too well vis a vis reading assignments ... but she's apparently a very good speaker so....good for her!
Congratulations and just keep this feeling in mind when you feel like screaming...LOL
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ROFL ... are you MY twin?
It's not that I hate housework, per se, it just seems such an exercise in futility -- especially around here.
Edited 9/5/2006 1:07 pm ET by hydrangea_blue
What a great story!! I"m proud of your DD and I don't even know her !
In a way, both "sides" of your DD make sense - if she has seen success in pulling things together at the last minute (and the two speeches support that she has that skill) then why oh why should she worry about homework all summer when she knows it will get done. I have to admit that I am the same way - I know I'll get it done in the crunch, so why sweat it until you absolutely have to - it wasn't until college that I really got school work that had to be done over a long period of time.
Congrats on having a DD who is smart, poised, and confident - and able to think on her feet and under very short time constraints!
Sue
I know what you mean. I used to go to the parent-teacher confs. and hear the teachers talk about how nice my DD was and how they wished all the kids could be like her. I just smiled and thought, is this the same girl who gives me an attitude and calls her brother an "idiot?" Also, her room is usually a total mess but her school work is extremely organized with all the papers just so, even color-coordinated notebooks.
I also used to do all my school work at the last minute, even in college. I used to write the papers the night before and I always got all As, so maybe she just works well under pressure. I know that my DD who is a senior and in honors everything, only read one of the 2 books she was supposed to read this summer. I did suggest that while she was laid up after knee surgery might be a good time to read, but she never did.
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LOLOL. After this, I think I finally 'get' her. It's about time, dont'cha think?
Thanks for your nice thoughts and kind words. :-)
She sounds like my daughter Kelsey, who is somewhat
like me in that we both work even better when under
pressure : )
My 3 adult kids were the same way as teens.
Hugs,
~*~ there's nothing that a nap can't cure (wink!).... ~*~
~*~ Aloha to all .... ~*~