A few years ago, when I turned 20 and I was officially not a teenager anymore, I told my mom that I still felt like I was 13 years old. She looked me deep in my eyes, and at the age of 54 said, "Me too." Fear struck my heart immediately and it hit me: Deep down, no matter how old we are, we'll always feel like a stupid teenager—one who's afraid that our body odor is offensive, constantly finding hair in new and weird places, and still afraid to talk to a crush. As much as we try to hide that horrible, horrible awkward teenager inside of us, it's always there, with its puberty-ridden voice that squeaks out, at the most inopportune of times, "Remember me?"
That's probably why we secretly relate so much to Tina Belcher of Bob's Burgers. Take your Clueless Cher, take your Dawson from the Creek, take your My So-Called Life Angela—there is no character who captures being a teenager quite like Tina. Unfortunately. Here's why the 13-year-old teenage girl is exactly like the teenager you try to hide away forever.
Written by Hope Schreiber (@HopeSchreiber)
You still don't know how to hold an adult conversation and resort to using phrases you've overheard while your dad was watching Mad Money.
You still don't have a positive way to cope with stress...
...or embarrassment...
...or life in general, to be honest.
Peer pressure is something they warned you about in 8th grade Health Class and it's even more relevant now. Like when your friend encouraged you to text your coworker about getting drinks.
You still panic when you realize you have to feed yourself.
You're not entirely sure how to make the first move...
...or how to give your number out to someone without looking too thirsty.
Your body is still doing weird stuff.
You try really hard to look hot.
All you can think about is:
So much that you kind of get caught up in your fantasies.
And, even though you try to act like it doesn't exist now, you're still lusting like you just discovered the birds and the bees.
You still don't know what any of this shit means, but to save face you certainly act like you do.
But despite it all—the awkward misunderstandings...
...the, uh, weird, yet, exciting erotic dreams...
...and basically, just feeling like you're still 13—
just remember:
