Growing Pains

Audience: 14-18

Purpose: The purpose of this piece is to show teens how far they have come since their childhood, and how much farther they will have to go.

Sitting in a pool of loose papers and eraser bits, Beth was franticly flipping through her calculus textbook in search for answers. She had put her lunch on hold, trying to cram in the last bits of mathematical information before her big test.

It was evident she had stayed up all night studying. Her hair was a mess, she had dark bags under her eyes, and she filled the halls with her long, drawn out yawns. Her clothing was of stark contrast to her body language. A bold purple sweater blanketed her dreariness, while her blue tights brought life to an otherwise lifeless body. Although, as she continued to purge through her notes, her stress was understandable.

Beth had applied to 5 different universities and has still yet to receive a response. Most of her friends have received conditional offers, and Beth has recently gone into panic mode. She seems to be in doubt that her marks are good enough, and now, on the verge of her first big test of the semester, Beth is spending most of her free-time studying and doing homework. Her childhood dream was to be a doctor, but that was when it all seemed so easy. From private school to summer school, Beth has tried it all.

The realities of life have caught up to Beth, and her dream of becoming a doctor is at risk of remaining a dream forever. She had never thought it could be this hard, and now in a fortress of schoolwork, Beth is trying to overcome the hurdles of life.