I have caught the Teenage Virus. I am sick with rebellion and romanticism.

What is the Teenage Virus? It begins when, somewhere around sixteen and seventeen, you realize your youth and high school years are passing you by and you weren’t enough of a teenager to enjoy them. It is the moment when your parents are yelling at you about something small when you wish you had done something major to make it worth all this fuss. You could say it is when you have watched too many coming off age classics and are already feeling nostalgic about a time that has not yet passed.

This phenomenon has long been around and will continue to plague parents for generations to come. Some symptoms include: an increasing desire to sneak out, worry less about maybe being caught, and a need for an adrenaline rush every weekend. Symptoms may cause “rabble-rousing” or lead to “tom-foolery”. My particular case is not the worst I have ever seen. I knew a girl who had it so bad she packed a bag and left. A tendency to act before you think is the first sign of infection. She came back of course because the real world is terrifying, but her fever must have been running very high that particular night.

Early onset Teenage Virus can be found in junior highers who feel they have become greater than this world can handle and know all there is to know. This leads to smart mouth (a dangerous side effect) and excessive eye rolling. If a child has older siblings sometimes that little taste of someone else’s freedom will cause this. Parents are advised to catch this particular case early on if they desire any chance of stopping it.

College has proven to be a cause of Teenage Virus. The fear of moving out and being on one’s own creates a harsh shock to the system that weakens the immune system and can make anyone more susceptible to infection. Sadly this virus is also contagious which means it spreads easily through schools. It might be seen passing through gossip between girls and high fives for guys.

One lesson we can all learn from Teenage Virus is to slow down and take these years in because they may be some of our favorite times to reminisce. Until we get to college and catch Independence Flu.