First Love | Teen Ink

First Love

September 5, 2009
By Maren Killackey BRONZE, Medford, Oregon
Maren Killackey BRONZE, Medford, Oregon
3 articles 15 photos 2 comments

“First love, last love / Only love, it’s only love.” These are the opening lyrics to a little-known song (“First Love”) by a little-known band (The Maccabees). But what significance these lyrics hold! Don’t they pretty accurately explain the teenage drama? Let me clarify. You get to high school. You see a guy or girl you like. You start dating (after a couple more steps). In the end you break up. Unless you’re so romantically mature (aka lucky) that you stay with that first love for the rest of your life. But for the most part, high school relationships end after a couple months. Even though some people are able to keep a good thing going for years, the vast majority of teens break up relatively soon after the start of their relationship. And man! Isn’t the break up process difficult? There are just too many modes and methods! There’s the face-to-face break up. The phone break up. The e-break up (including e-mail, Facebook, and MySpace). There’s the text break up. (I highly recommend only the first type, for morality and ethic’s sake). Then there are the different kinds of break ups. The “mutual” break up, which really isn’t mutual because someone has to be the instigator. There’s the break up where you dump the other person. Then, there’s the worst of all breakups (especially when it’s texted): you get dumped. No matter whether you like the person you were dating or not, it sucks. Self-worth and esteem drops, either just a little or it plummets. Now, sometimes you want somebody to dump you, and have utilized tactics seen in “How To Lose a Guy In Ten Days,” I don’t know, that’s a separate article. For the most part getting dumped hurts. Especially if the someone who dumped you, truly was your first love. Here’s where the song really starts to make sense.

Your one true love has left you. You’re devastated. You’ll find another human being you could love as much as you’re new ex. Then you get out Webster’s dictionary and look up the definition of love (as well as a pint of Ben and Jerry’s). Love, noun: warm affection. Wait a minute, you exclaim, warm affection? I have a “warm affection” for my dog! No, you say, Sally/Joe was different. So you carry on. Love, noun: benevolence. Don’t you hate it when you need a dictionary to define a dictionary? Benevolence, noun: kindness. You’ve got to be kidding me (still you). I helped a freshman carry his books the other day. That was kind, but I don’t love him. Next! Love, noun: charity. Well, benevolence is kind of the same as charity. Next! Love, noun: sexual passion. WHOA! We did not go there (or maybe you did, I don’t need to know). Love, noun: Tennis, score of zero. What? This is not helping! Then you see it: sweetheart. Well, you think, I can kind of relate to that. Your love was sweet, as well as nice, funny, attractive, smart, etc. But then you realize that there are quite a few sweet, nice, funny, attractive, smart, etc. fish in the sea. If everyone married their first “love,” wouldn’t we choose our only love more carefully than based off of nice hair or a cute smile? But we don’t, because it’s high school.

As we get older, I’d like to think our definition of love becomes deeper, more thought out, and personal. But for now, teen love is…well, it’s only love.


The author's comments:
An unfortunate amount of information for this article came from personal experience.

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This article has 14 comments.


KenyaOE BRONZE said...
on Sep. 10 2012 at 4:52 pm
KenyaOE BRONZE, Acworth, Georgia
1 article 0 photos 2 comments

Favorite Quote:
"That's a Mcbealism" --Ally McBeal

You really put everything that I have been thinking into actual words. THis is really great! 

irishlass317 said...
on May. 1 2012 at 11:03 pm
irishlass317, Jefferson City, Missouri
0 articles 0 photos 134 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I asked Jesus 'How much do you love me?' He answered 'This much.' And He streched out His arms and died."

Wow. This is very well written and well said!1 I absolutely love it!! :D You did a fantastic job writing this piece!! <3

kekeshawty:) said...
on Nov. 7 2011 at 8:18 am
Yah...i love this story it tell truth about real stuff.!!!!

on Oct. 16 2011 at 12:54 pm
that was amazing, thankyou! im going through a hard time right now and this helped me in a way, im only a teenager but ive had strong feelings for this lad for atleast a year now and we went out but he finished me and ive not got over his since:/ he keeps flirting with me making it harder for me to move on but i got drunk and asked him out and he said no:/ i hate my life..boys are confusing! i think i love him, but im hurting so much:'( 

on Sep. 2 2011 at 6:18 pm
Angel1932 PLATINUM, Antioch, California
33 articles 0 photos 90 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Love can touch us one time and last for a lifetime" ~ Celine Dion
"If you're going to pray don't worry... if you're going to worry don't pray." ~ Mariah Carey

I like it, it is wonderful!!! :) Excellent Job!!!

ChrisMendez said...
on Apr. 23 2011 at 1:29 am
ChrisMendez, Hayward, California
0 articles 0 photos 1 comment

Favorite Quote:
We must love one another or die-W.H.Auden

This piece is good but the tHE HARDEST ONE ABOUT LOVE IS FINDING THE RIGHT ONE

iHannahJ GOLD said...
on Apr. 3 2011 at 2:35 pm
iHannahJ GOLD, Oshkosh, Wisconsin
17 articles 0 photos 12 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I veiw myself on my intentions, the world veiws me on my actions."

Very insightful. Good voice within the piece :) I like it!!

quiet1 said...
on Apr. 1 2011 at 2:13 pm
quiet1, Fort Mill, South Carolina
0 articles 0 photos 10 comments

Favorite Quote:
Live, Laugh, Love
Girls rule, Boys drool.
Peace+Love=Happiness
Love will always find its way in.
If you don't like me at my worst, you don't deserve me at my best.
You drive, you text, you die.

you're so smart about this!

on Nov. 20 2010 at 2:11 pm
Sincerely,DiscreteEnvy SILVER, Jersey City, New Jersey
6 articles 0 photos 2 comments

Favorite Quote:
"As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let us down, probably will. You'll have your heart broken and you'll break others' hearts. You'll fight with your best friend or maybe even fall in love with them, and you"

I personally think the person who submitted the definition of love to the dictonary has not yet experience the real deal themself's at the time. There are many different stages of love and only time will tell you if it's the real thing or simple infactuation.lust,bliss..

Otto. PLATINUM said...
on May. 28 2010 at 9:09 pm
Otto. PLATINUM, Pueblo, Colorado
20 articles 5 photos 13 comments
My boyfriend drowned when we were still together, so no matter what never say anything you don't mean, and never say that you don't love them. Never go to sleep before making up. You never know what the daylight will bring.

MRGUMMIEBEAR said...
on Oct. 13 2009 at 4:18 pm
If you are really in love with that person then don’t let silly things get in the way so that you guys won’t break up.I liked it this artical

Knile97 said...
on Oct. 1 2009 at 8:24 am
Wow! I can't believe that's what it is!

on Sep. 30 2009 at 2:08 pm
I loved the usage of words and YES its hard going through a break up. the only thing that matters is to only be yourself around that cute guy you like..*giggles*.. so just stay true to yourself and be happy

-ashley