Letter to Maria (part 5)

all we wanted to do was go out and spend some time together! I don't feel further from the Lord after I had watched a movie that just so happened to not be “rated” yet. I don't think God's going to judge me for having more than 1½ bottles or whatever amount of beer that we're allowed to drink.
There's a 17-year–old guy I know who is as sweet as hell! He stays with a family only because he feels that it's the “right” thing to do. This family has a lot of kids and he's the only teen there. I don't think he's even kissed
a girl for years. He's a great guy and we talk often. Sometimes he jokes with me how he's going on 18 and about what he hasn't “done” with a girl. We all know he's not a bad-looking guy; in fact, there's like three girls in the neighborhood that constantly let him know he's “welcome anytime.” Of course that's out of the question, because he tries to abide by the rules, even though he probably knows that he's less likely to get caught having much more risky sex with an outsider than what eventually happened, which is this:
A little while ago, a cute 15-year-old girl stayed temporarily at the Home. Yeah, they kissed or something and he got slapped with six months babe's status. Six months!!! That's a LONG time, if you've ever been on babe's status. Basically what it boils down to is six months of misery, six months of no fun whatsoever. Yes, he did break the rules. I can't deny that. But you do have to admit that it was pretty hard for the fella to be good. He called later and during the course of our conversation asked me: “Hey dude. I did the wrong thing, didn't I? Did I really mess up?” I didn't know what to say. See, he did “break a rule.” That's for sure. Although I am leaning towards saying that I think he did what just about anyone else would have done in the same situation.
The Family chat site just got closed recently. All those guys (many of whom were younger teens) are going to keep chatting, right? I know that for a fact.
Now the kids in my Home get on MSN chat instead, where there's a whole lot of freaks. Was that the solution? To close it down? I think not. In my humble opinion it's being pennywise and pound–foolish. But then again, it's just my
opinion. Look, I'm nobody. I'm probably worse than anyone that reads this. I don't want to come across as self-righteous and I don't mean to accuse, but I do want to see something change, because I don't feel that this can be right.
It just seems like we're an organization chock full of young people that is run by older adults who don't really understand the needs of a young person. I think that if we were doing things right, the results wouldn't be what we're getting now.
I don't know if what I'm saying is totally right, but I've been to five continents and have seen a lot of people, a lot of situations, and this is my present conclusion. If we don't change something, and change it soon, there will be very few young people left in the Family. The Family will become an organization comprised mostly of people over 40, and that would be a shame to let happen. Perhaps a good approach to this would be to not keep coming down hard on people for small mistakes and blunders of the mind, and quit telling people that they don't have what it takes, just because they're human. What bites the most are people who feel that because they're older, then they must be better.
The generation gap is there because it's supposed to be there. It's natural. The way God made us actually. The reason that we have the generation gap problem in the Family is because us teens don't agree with the rules and regulations that are being enforced on us--it's unrealistic and ultimately leads to frustration and rebellion as we have all seen time and time and time (and time) again. I'm just going to spit it out here and say what many others and I feel. The Family is too strict! There's too many rules on tiny‚ minute things that make life very uncomfortable for a young person. It's a fact that forbidden fruit becomes a craving. Look at the States. It has the strictest drug and alcohol policies and yet has the worst offenders and casualties by it.
You know why Family teens travel all over the world now, or from Home to Home constantly, or make YA/SGA Homes? Many times it's because they're looking for a place where people will get off of their backs, stop breathing down their necks‚ so that they can serve the Lord to the best of their personal ability and faith. Does the SGA who goes out to the market in the morning, then changes, goes witnessing, comes back, works on the mail ministry, goes to his(System) private computer tutoring lessons, comes home, watches kids, cuts off, meets up with the other young people. Then goes out watches a movie that may have not been rated yet. Go to a pub, talk, laugh, have a great time, downs a couple shots then has a pint of beer, comes home, chats a bit on the Internet, plays a game and goes goes to bed