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Junior High School Years

    Most adults hate that 6th grade thru 9th grade age of kids. They're noisy, rebellious, and contentious. They're awkward and harder to please. You can expect less respect, generally. (There's always individual exceptions to every generality.)

    I say it's a great age. Remember what it was like? Every nerve ending is alive. Everything is so dramatic, so intense. Emotions are flaring. Fantasies and expectations are high. Reality is horrible. Every word from someone else's mouth is of tantamount importance. You feel like you're in the spotlight all the time, and one false move is ruination.

    And you remember everything because it is so intense. You've crossed some invisible line that won't allow you to just live freely without caring. Now what people think is important. Finding your place in the world is important, even if you can't find the words to express that. You're capable of thinking about God and eternity, not just echoing back what you've heard. You're teetering on a fence between childhood and adulthood. No adult understands you or properly appreciates you. It's a wonder any of us survive those years. I guess the physical and chemical make-up are at the right levels to handle the emotional, mental, and hormonal changes and intensity.

    As an adult, I wouldn't be able to handle what someone that age endures. I'd see the doctor for some help. Or I'd go for therapy. It would just be too hard to live like that. You only go through that once in life. Once is enough. But isn't it wonderful?