HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1989-04-26, Page 25Palo ssa
Being
Thirteen, what an awkward age to be!
I'm too old to do somethings and too young
to-do others. What can I do when I'm thir-
teen? I have -chosen to talk about "Being
Thirteen". No I've only been .a teenager
for a little less than half ,a year, ' but even
that's long enough to know what it's like. I
can remember when I was a little girlthat
I couldn't wait until my =thirteenth birth-
day. But now it's past I really .can't see
what was so special about it. All it really
brought was more pressure and little free
time.
Being a teenager really means matur-
ing. Maturing comes in four parts, to
mature physically, mentally, socially, and
emotionally. Now just the minute you
become .a teenager, don't think that you
have:grownup completely, as ,it takes time
to qualify for all four parts. Some people
never do grow -up completely. Getting to
the point now, some of the disadvantages
of being a teenager are, there is no end to
the homework and you have tests just
growing out of your ears. Some teenagers
get those wonderful littlepink things other-
wise :known as acne. Also, when you go
swimming or skating or any other activity
you have to pay . more .admission. When
you turn thirteen your social life should
improve but it really doe 'i warcn't-
old enough to have a driver's license and
even if you did there isn't much to do in
Lucknow.
At thirteen you are expected to know
what you would like to:do with your future
so that you can choose the right subjects
for secondary schooling. What a big deci-
sion to have to -make at this early age ! Did
you ever notice that it seems that your
parentsgrew.upintheeighteenth century?
They make fun of your clothes, hair, and
ideas as ifyou were from a whole :different
planet! On occasion your 'parents will
sometimes say "We used to ;wear that
whenwewere growingup, you:meanthat's
back in style again! "These are just some
of the frustrations >o€being►.e
of thegoodpoints Of beinglhirteen areyou
start earning your own money to buy
things as you wish. Being in Grade 8 you
are expected to know everything as you
are looked up to by the younger 'kids. But
come September I will be one of those
naive.grade =miners who can't even find her
way to the cafeteria without getting lost in
that maze of corridors. The best thing that
hasrhappened since I turned thirteen is get-
ting
etting rid of those -unsightly braces inwhich I
wore for two whole years. Finally I .can
chew bubblegiun again!
At thirteen you are often asked to
babysit for locat:friends and neighbours at
which time you get to be "the boss". What
a great feeling except at three o'clock in
the morning when you say to yourself
"When are :they evergoing to be home" as
you fight to stay awake. Something good
that will happen to me during my .thir-
teenth year will be a trip to Canada's
capital, "Ottawa" with "my fellow
classmates. This will be a great ex-
perience! One .other good point is that
perhaps I will get a summer job this year.
Then 111 have money to burn ! I can always
hope anyway!
Beingthirteen is much different today,
as we are forced to grow 'up much faster
than our parents did Sometimes it seems
like you're not allowed to be a kid long
enough. ben you:r become a teenager
many pressures fall upon you such as
drinking, :smoking, drugs, .and dating.
Should I: or. shouldn't I? These are deci-
sions for thirteen year old.
Some of the good 'T T. shows that are
directed towards the teenage audience are
Degrassi Junior high, Connecting, and
High School Confidential. These shows are
very educational for the, teenagers. They
say that thirteen isan.unlucky number and
frankly I:agree.
Now that I am thirteen I am looking for-
ward to being sweet sixteen so that I can
get my driver's license. When I do I -would
suggest that you "stay off the sidewalks if
you don't like the -way I drive!"
JenniferPorter
Gradet
Ben '
J n
by Tammy Neable
On your marks, get set, go! Johnson
dashed from the starting line, and in just
9.83 seconds, his whole life changed.
Honourable Judges, Fellow Contestants,
Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls,
Mr. Chairman. Now you might ask, "How
could a few seconds change someone's
life? Well, it sure did change the life of a
man named Benjamin Sinclar Johnson Jr.
Ben, the fifth of six children, was born on
Dec. 30, 1961, in Falmouth, a little town
near Montego Bay, Jamaica. In 1976, he
emigrated to Canada with his father, four
sisters, and an older 'brother, to join their
mother who had earlier emigrated to
Canada in hopesof a `,better future by work-
ing in a hotel. Ben's father, a technician
with a telephone company, later returned
to his job in Jamaica. In Ben's early
childhood he was known as an active
young boy who loved sports and often got
punished: byhis mother for doingthings'his
own way. His whole life turned a corner
one day when he went to practice with his
older brother; Edward, who was training
with the Scarborough Optimist Track
Team. At this time, Ben was 15 and weigh-
ed only 93 pounds. The coach recalls that
Ben couldn't even run halfway around the
track, without stopping, saying his legs
ceded_ -to -r slap
ed and -very weak. After many days of per-
suading, Ben cleared the 100 -metre in 11
seconds flat. After lots of training Ben
grew t6 inches . and .gained a whole 50
pounds. Ben's first competition came in
1978, the Commonwealth Games held in
Edmonton. The 16 -year-old Ben completed
the 100 -metre, but only to finish last. Iiis
first win came in 1980, when he won the Na-
tional Indoor 50 -metre title, and came in
2nd, at the 100 -metre outdoors. It was not
until 1984, when he won his first Canadian
100 -metre title. Later that year, he finished
3rd in the Los Angeles Olympics, behind
Carl Lewis sand Sam Grady, both Of 'United
States. His first world recordcame in 1986,
at the Commonwealth Games held in Edin-
burgh. Be ran the 100 -metre in 9.95
seconds. After his record he became rank-
ed no. 1 in the world. His most recent suc-
cess came in the Seoul Summer Ol cs
when he won a gold medal defeating rl
Lewis, at the lOO4netre, in just '9279
seconds, world record time. The whole
country was proud and honoured to have
Ben Johnson winning a gold medal for
them. It was only 72 hours after his win,
when something so tragic happened, it
shook the whole world. Ben Johnson was
tested for steroids, and he tested positive.
How could this be? How ,could he use
them? Some people believe that his worst
enemy, Carl Lewis, of United States,
somehow put the steroids in Johnson's
water bottle. What are we supposed to
believe? Resulting from this, Ben's not
allowed to enter any International Com-
petitions for the next 4 years.
Ben's life and career have changed
dramatically over this scandal. Ben was
many little children's hero. They all
wanted to grow up, and be just like him.
Flit a minute. Who am 1 to saglhat all
the littlekids gave up on him Maybe there
are still some kids who have him as their
hero, and if they do I'm proud of them,
because I'm one of those people who
haven't given up on him. I believe that he
didn't Use the steroids and I'm sure that
there's more people who wouldagree with
me. In my opinion, I think Canada is one
lucky country, because we have what no
other country has. Ben Johnson.
ERIC R;1144cKE R
AGENT FOR
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