Mythbusters Essay

April 25, 2008 at 10:54 pm · Filed under Uncategorized

Caitlin Barnum

4/10/08

Ms. Robinson

AP Language and Composition

 

The Myth of the High School Relationship

 

Have you ever been madly in love and you just knew you were going to marry that person? Most people have had these relationships in high school. You walk to every class together, eat at the same lunch table, and stay up all hours of the night talking on the phone. Most of the time, these are puppy love relationships that only last a few months. But what about those high school relationships that last a lot longer, for years after high school until they are married? Do they really exist?

            Although many people speculate that these types of relationships don’t last, here is a first hand example that proves those speculations wrong. My uncle Kirk started dating his girl friend, now my aunt Nanny, his junior year in high school. They had fun, went to parties, and hung out with friends. A few years later, when she was out of high school, they were still in love and decided to get married. Now 22 years later, they are still a happy couple with two kids.

            Another fairy tale ending – my cousin Jennifer met her husband, Kevin, her sophomore year in high school. Her parents hated them being together, but they refused to separate, and kept on seeing each other.  They were not going to let anyone get in the way of their love. They have been married now for 10 years, have 3 daughters, and are happier than ever.  

            Dr. Lynn Ponton from Salon magazine stated, “On average, teen relationships last for 18 months.” A year and a half is a lot longer than many people believe high school relationships actually last.  From the Helium website, Sherry Obenaure states that “the majority of grandparents today have been married for close to or beyond fifty years, meaning they married when they were teenagers or shortly thereafter”. She aslo asked the question, “if their feelings for each other was just “puppy” love, how did their marriage last for so long and why are they so happy together?” The answer is that times have changed. The divorce rate has increased to over 50%, and society is just becoming more and more busy (Obenaure). 

            But that’s not to say these relationships can not last in todays world. From my personal experience with boys I do believe these puppy love relationships can last. My boyfriend, Eric, and I have been dating for a year and three months. It’s my longest relationship since I’ve been in high school. We get along great, we rarely fight, and we have fun just being ourselves. We do believe we have a genuine love for each other, and we’re hoping to be together for a long time. I’m not saying we will turn out like our grandparents, but there is always a possibility.

            So the next time you say, “Oh, it’s just a high school relationship, it wont last.” think again! Look at just how many relationships do last. Look at how many people actually can stay happy with each other for more than 18 months. It’s not everyday you find people who have a heart that guinely loves, so cherish those people you meet.

 

 

Dr. Ponton, Lynn. “Salon.com.” Is she the one for me?. 4 Feburary, 2003. Salon Premium. 9   Apr 2008 <http://dir.salon.com/story/mwt/col/pont/2003/02/04/ponton_love/>.

Page, Kirk. Personal interview on high school relationships. Cape Carteret, North            Carolina. 9 April. 2008.

Underwood, Jennifer. Personal interview on high school relationships. Cape Carteret, North Carolina. 9 April. 2008.

Obenaure, Sherry. “Can you find lasting love?.” Helium. 2008. 25 Apr 2008 <http://www.helium.com/items/284598-puppyhow-times-parents-other>.

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