Do you ever feel that night changes so quickly that each minute becomes a mere memory? Teenage life is full of change in people and surroundings. It changes the person so drastically that the person you know the most becomes the same as a stranger.

    Back in childhood, I had a whole splendid life, the innocent life that could only and only be experienced when small. I had my best time then. Going to school, (unusual in other kids), would always bring pleasure to me. I would go to school daily walking, as it was at a walk able distance, with my dad merrily talking about every small and stupid thing and him listening to it patiently and calmly. I could innocently make friends, though my friends changed each year as I upgraded and grew older. I was the favorite child of my family. My mom and dad loved me dearly and solely. All my cousins and relatives would pay attention to me and would always love my company. I was also a good friend then. Back in fifth grade we had our whole girl squad including 7-8 people, who all had different identities and behavior; still we made a very strong and powerful squad including two of my best friends, with whom I was a friend since pre-primary. Our girl squad lasted forever. We were known by everyone, even by teachers for being together everywhere anytime. Of course there were fights and quarrels too between us, sometimes we would get so much offended from each other that we wouldn’t even talk for a while, but couldn’t resist our urge to be with them, and become inseparable friends again! I was a good friend of all and people enjoyed my company then. We would play, sing, gossip about our enemies, write poems and stories and have great fun even in classrooms and in picnics and school trips as well. Our classes were not even shuffled till eighth grade that made our bond even stronger, but something much unexpected struck us that affected my friendship and bond with them.

               Corona virus struck and we all were distanced by it as our meets had all been prohibited and even our school had become online, restricting us to meet anyone. Besides, one of our friends had shifted to a new place and therefore a new school making her really very distanced from us. Still we managed to keep in touch with everyone through video calls and messages, but gradually all these things stopped and puberty hit hard everyone. People that I knew the most had completely changed. They lost the innocence, the sensitive natures they had. Most of them grew very different when entered in teenage life and I could see myself still the same as I was before, probably teenage life had not changed me much. Though my some subjects of interest had changed, but I was the same girl from my side. After corona virus had almost come to an end, we met each other frequently, but I would notice all my other friends being so cool in their world, acting as though adults and I was the same girl as before, but now constantly trying to fit with them, though I couldn’t. I tried to change myself for them just to keep with them and to fit into their definition of being cool and trendy! I still couldn’t change myself. Even my parents’ behavior was changing towards me. I would feel less loved, less cared about. Even my relatives and cousins would pay less attention to me. I was greatly moved by this. I thought I was same but people around me had changed. I would cry my heart out when alone almost each day. Perhaps I was not realizing that I must have changed for them too. I would feel that now people didn’t like my company and I was constantly trying to fit with them. I later realized that by being changed into what I am certainly not was resulting in losing my own self! I decided to be what I am, no matter if people liked or disliked me and eventually I was once again happy and I realized that no one actually hated me it was just that even they couldn’t believe how fast the night changed and how quickly I became old. Maybe they too observed some changes in me that were unnoticed by me. Gradually I started dealing with all the things and became a bit comfortable with it.
        Though sometimes I felt the same lonely and uncared behavior of people for me, but now it didn’t affected me as greatly as before. Even I took time to adjust with all the responsibilities that came up as I grew older, all at once, people started making me realize that I have grown up. I wasn’t ready to take all responsibilities headed to me all of a sudden, waking up one day and had a huge mountain of responsibilities on my head, it took time for me to adjust but gradually as I grew up I became comfortable with things.

        Finally I would like to conclude with the fact that though teenage life brings changes in us physically and emotionally, with time everything becomes normal and usual so the only way to be happy is to accept the changes and be you!