Fifteen

I recently downloaded Taylor Swift's album, I just love her! Her recent single "Fifteen" has been playing everywhere for the past few weeks, and her lyrics inspired me to write this blog.

Her song is all about being 15 years old, thinking you know what you want, that you've got life all figured out, and falling in love for the first time, then later on realizing, that everything you thought you wanted, isn't what you wanted at all.

We've all been there.

I had my first real kiss at 15 years old. I was "going-out" with a boy named Robert, and had red hair and a face full of freckles. He would hold my hand, as we walked around the square block of our high school, about 25 times over the lunch hour. I would blush and giggle, when he looked at me. It was all very new. I remember the first day after school, as we were rushing for our school buses, him hesitiating, and then pecking me very quickly on the lips. I was on Cloud 9 forever it seemed. And of course with high school romances, come the break ups, and then onto the next romance.

At 16 years old, I was dating a boy I had grown up with since diapers. We worked together, lived only a couple blocks away from each other in a VERY small town, and we were inseparable. I got my G1, and was on top of the world, having fun with friends, working at my first job, and living like a 16 year old girl does!

At 17 years old, I faced something that most teenage girls think will never happen to them. Teenage pregnancy. I gave my all to the boyfriend, and found out I was pregnant 2 months later. My family cried for days, heartbroken, scared, confused. I went to my ultrasound, to find out how far along I was, and at 8 weeks, there was no heartbeat. I woke the next morning to then experience what was the most emotional, physical, mental pain & agony any woman, let alone 17 year old girl, could imagine - a miscarriage. My life seemed to be over, as I dealt with everything, and then the boy who had gotten me pregnant, broke up with me. 17 was a very hard year for me. I carry this year around with me, as it had completely changed my life.

At 18 years old, I wondered how to move on with my life. I was dating a new boy, but no sex. I couldn't deal with the emotional, let alone physical aspect. I turned to media, and communications in my 12th Grade year. We were fortunate to have a local radio station broadcasting out of our college, and I fell in love. I did 2 co-op terms, scored high 90%'s in all my media/communications classes, and was accepted on early acceptance to Loyalist College's Radio Broadcasting Program. This was my future, and I was ready to embrace the new change in my life.

At 19 years old, I went away to Belleville for school, having the best experience of my life. It's also where I met the love of my life, Ryan. We were best friends for 4 years before we finally admitted to having a crush on each other for those 4 years...and we've now been together close to 5 years! I graduated Loyalist College, and worked in radio for 5 years, before finding my other true love, that was just hidden beneath it all - Marketing.

Now, on the edge of 27 years old, I look back at my teen years, and can relate to the Taylor Swift song. If she had been singing that song when I was in my teens, I probably would have loved the song, but wouldn't have really listened to the lyrics.

If you have a teenage daughter, feel free to share my post with her. As Taylor's song says "When you're fifteen, don't forget to look before you fall". Let her know that she doesn't have to have everything figured out at 15 years old. I am 26 years old, and am still learning new things about myself daily.

Watch Taylor's video for "Fifteen" here.

xo Leslie