Sitting alone in the bathroom stall in an Arby’s restroom, and the two blue lines stared back at me. The pregnancy test screamed positive and it echoed through the walls. I couldn’t think straight and the world began to spin. I had been feeling sick for a few weeks, but I had never imagined that I could be pregnant. I had began to drink huge amounts of liquids and when all was said and done, I had taken six or seven pregnancy tests. I was scared and alone and young.
What no one knows from this small story is that I was and still am married to a man that I love very much. I had also finished high school a while before and had finished it a semester before the rest of my class. I was alone and I was terrified, but that was only due to the fact that my husband had left for basic training and I didnt have him around for support. Teenage pregnancy is something that seems to be growing in our country, and at a fast rate, but the judgement that gets passed upon everyone as a result is not necessary.
Many people see a pregnant teen and certain thoughts and images float into the mind. Thoughts about where the girl comes from and what sort of lifestyle she has to lead in order for her to get herself into the situation she is in. Generalizations on any topic are not fair, and this one hit me as I became a young mother. I come from a well structured family, lived in a small town in a nice neighborhood, and had recieve my highschool diploma and had already began college, but when people looked at me they didnt see that.
What people said behind my back never mattered much to me, although I know a few girls that were devistated by what people said about them, the thing that bothered me were the people on the street, in the stores, even at family gatherings. The elongated stares from everyone, whether they knew me or not. Whats aweful for these young girls is, regardless of their situation, they need support and acceptance. They dont want to feel like the bearded lady from an old fashioned circus. My family members stared at me as I would pass by them as well, and most of them without even realizing it. I was a clown that couldn’t seem to was the greasy cake makeup off my face. Depression is something that can come about easily in young pregnant teens and young mothers alike, and for the people who stare without knowing their individual story is no helping them in any way. And what of the boys that impregnate these teens? NOthing. Their live will not change at all, they will have nothing that will make you stare at them, not tattoos screaming out that he will soon enough be a father. So when he walks past you wont give him a second glance, when he has just as much to do with the child growing inside the young girl as she does. JUst something to consider.
Another major point I feel the need to remark upon is those who will see a pregnant teen and then automatically judge the parents or guardians severely. The parents could be the best at sheltering their children and watching over them, but their kids are going to explore things whether or not they are given permission to do so. The old saying is rules are meant to be broken, and no matter how angelic ones son or daughter appears to be on the outside, everyone has a devious side. For example a child could say that an after school activity was scheduled that evening, and most parents wouldnt question their teen, and really they are going to a party at a friends house. Teenagers are more intellegent than they are given credit for, and the parents cannot be the only ones to blame in situations such as these because they can be manipulated and decieved just as easily as anyone else.
Teen pregnancy is an epidemic sweeping the nation, but it isnt something that should be judged by those who know nothing of personal situations. The young girl that you see passing by you is the only one that knows the full extent of her story. Family support and not critisisms are what is necessary for her to become a successful mother and to excell at the goals she has set for her life. People make choices everyday and consiquences follow, support and sympathy are sometimes the easiest things to give to a person, and often mean the most in the world.