too young?

Today in class someone asked me how I felt about boy girl relationships (BGRs) at their age of 14, maybe 15.

From the perspective of someone only about 5 years older, I feel that 15 years old is way too young to be starting any form of relationships with the opposite sex. Let me take this opportunity to say that for my past years in school, I've rarely even seen a couple last through the end of the school term. But this is just me, you might have your own real life examples to refute my claim.

Which leads me to question the motivating factor behind getting into BGRs at such a tender age. The feeling to love and just be so overwhelmingly surrounded by its magic is simply put, amazing. And many teenagers can't tell the difference between truly in love with the person or just simply in love with this feeling of being in love.

The line in between is frightfully thin. And I'm not saying that only teenagers are vulnerable. Sometimes we dive blindly into this illusion and before we know it, we are caught up in the frenzy of things finally unable to tell its subtle difference.

Of course, a person at 20 will see things very differently from someone who is 5 years younger. And believe me, 5 years can do a lot to your perspectives. I remember when I was 15, I vaguely remember I was confused. Of course, I never had the slightest hint back then and some of my actions really do baffle me, especially now when I look back.

Heck, even now at this point of writing, I still don't get a clear idea on love and relationships. I was always baffled, still is and I believe I will always continue questioning, this whole complex idea behind love. I know, at the back of my head, that I can never really find a satisfactory answer. I guess it keeps me thinking. For me, getting lost in my thoughts have become some sort of an escape.

To my students, I can never give you my exact opinion on love and relationships at your age. It is because I'm constantly questioning, and the questions I have rob me of the confidence. I may have said 15 is too young but that's just in all sense of the word, politically correctness.

All I can say is, you do get a clearer idea of things when you are out of the picture and looking back in. We all tend to be myopic when we are in the midst of all the action. That's why sometimes I encourage people to stand back and take a breather.

Whatever it is, when you love, love with all your heart. Cherish and savour every possible moment in love you can gather. It is these moments that define a relationship and not its duration.

And that is all I have to say for tonight.