It occurred to me just now that America, the grand experiment in Democracy that began in revolution in 1776, and organized itself under the Constitution in 1789, is no longer in its infancy.
Yeah, I was shocked too!
Of course, at 238 years old, I shouldn’t be. In fact, growing up should be expected. We can’t remain babies or even toddlers forever, now, can we? Cute and cuddly was bound to give way to something, well, to something decidedly different.
We want to be like the big kids. After all, the countries that most of those in power like to believe we all hailed from (legally, natch) have been around for many hundreds of years, some even a thousand years or more. They’ve done so much stuff that they don’t even bother to put up plaques saying what happened.
Yes, those other countries, they’ve changed, grown, and matured through the ages. We must too.
And we are.
Which led me to the realization of the entire problem with our country. With our political family.
SHIT! America is a teenager, God help us.
Yup. We (and the world we lead) are truly fucked.
We have become a nation of petulant fools who can’t think beyond our own immediate needs.
Let’s hope our nation doesn’t wrap itself around a metaphorical tree.
[Elections matter. We got what too many of us stayed home for.]
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The idea for this post came to me when I read Zorbear’s post, Just wasting our money again… featuring this terrific cartoon
FiftyFourandAHalf 
When I see our leaders in the House of Commons acting like 2 year olds, I begin to despair Canada will ever grow to be a teenager!
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I’m hiding until we get into our late 20’s….
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Good plan, Cooper. Happy New Year!
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Love it… Our country is a teenager! You are spot on… So that means in another 150 years we should get back to normal??? Hope we make it that long…
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Oh lord. How long can we wait!
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Yes, America is a teenager. We tend to see the world from only our perspective and pout (or worse) when others don’t agree. Maybe future generations will benefit from our growing up. Let’s hope.
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Happy New Year, Elyse.
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Here’s hoping for a better year than the one ending now. Somehow, I wonder about that thought. What with our Republican-led Congress?? They have already started their tear-down of our laws, rights, properties and the pursuit of happiness. Sorry for being negative – a rarity for me, but it doesn’t look too good, from my perspective right now.
Anyway, I do love your teenager slant on our country’s age. Right on!
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I’m hoping, too, that this year will be a good one. At least it won’t be ALL about the 2016 presidential race …. I’m hoping that folks realize that if they don’t pay attention and vote, this sort of congress is what they get ….
Happy New a Year, Sushine!
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Amen to that!
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OMG. This is, like, funny, but NOT, ya’ know?
No wonder my tolerance has been tested. I barely survived those years with my boys, and am in no mood to live through a repeat performance of that insanely-unbalanced circus, I mean, CHAPTER, of life. Explains a lot.
At this rate, I’ll be long dead before America ever grows up. And here I’ve been hoping to witness something amazing and spectacular. Like, you know, something that actually makes some sense.
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Not to add insult to injury, 99, but you also live in Texas, so there are all those extra hormones ragin’. But your comment is exactly what I thought when I thought of the analogy. This is Funny but NOT!
Happy New Year to you, my friend. I hope 2015 is a great one for you.
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Remember the good ole days when people were all puffed up about being from Texas? I don’t want to get all Dixie Chick’d or hung up by my cowboy boots, but let’s just say The Lone Star State hasn’t even managed to glimpse what being a teenager is all about. The state reminds me more of a temper tantrum throwing two year old. Sigh. Is there such a thing as regressing back to infancy?
Happiest of New Year’s to you, too. Lots of good things in 2015. Maybe even some happy days and hilarity. Hey, we can hope for better things. 🙂
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Love this post! Hilarious and the perfect analogy. Happy New Year!
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Thanks, Angela — I’m hoping that we all didn’t realize what was happening, and the teen years are nearly behind us. Right? Please????
Happy New Year to you, as well!
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Raging hormones! That explains congress!
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It explains a lot, IMHO!
Happy New Year Kate! It’s been fun getting to know you better this year.
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Excellent analogy, Elyse. A bit terrifying but at least there is some hope for maturity around the corner.
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I feel kind of like our country is George of the Jungle …
Happy New Year!
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Interesting analogy Elyse. The only issue i see with it is that a teen is usually surrounded by influences that eventually cause them to grow and mature. I’m not so sure the US is. Which is scary.
I wish you a very Happy new Years and hope that it brings you and yours happiness, health and prosperity.
Oh, as an aside Elyse, i have a guest post over at Anawnimiss (a young East Indian blogger) https://anawnimiss.wordpress.com/2014/12/31/the-blizzard-a-guest-post-by-paul-curran/comment-page-1/#comment-3965 I would be honored if you had time to drop by for a read. Thanks!
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I’ll look forward to it at lunchtime, Paul! Will you also give me a link to your last one? I didn’t get a chance to read it and don’t remember where it is.
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thanks Elyse! the last one was at Cordelia’s Mom http://cordeliasmomstill.com/2014/12/25/the-christmas-kitten-guest-post-by-paul-curran/ Thanks so much!
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My daughter just turned 13 two weeks ago. This isn’t what I need to read at 7:01 a.m. I don’t need TWO teenagers in my life right now. So take it back, okay?
P.S. Don’t tell me what I’m in for with a 13-year old girl in my house. I don’t want you to spoil all the cool surprises I’m in for.
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Don’t worry. It will be fine. My son is now 23 and a delightful prrson. Of course his attendance at military school may have helped.
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PERFECT! Now I completely get all the eye rolling, foot stomping, door slamming and sighing that has been going on. Let’s hope it doesn’t last too long.
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Well, just think how long it took to get this far (i.e., being a teen), half that, and add it onto today’s date…
(Groan!)
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That’s exactly what i’m afraid of!
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Shudder
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Wow, there’s a thought for early in the morning.
Is it wrong that I wish I had kept the politically hateful “friends” on social media just so I can “complain” about gas prices right now ?
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Folks ARE complaining about it — on Fox news. I think that’s atough sell. Though.
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It’s interesting that Canada, while being much younger, is much more mature and rational. Maybe we’re just refusing to grow up, or maybe it’s an extended sugar high from all those corn subsidies.
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As the youngest of my family, i learned from my siblings’ mistakes. So i was perfect. Canada, too, right?
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That is a good analogy… and a scary one. I think cycles work on a global level… every empire ends sooner or later, but I think there’s still reason for optimism. I don’t know why or how, but I feel it somehow.
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Happy New Year, Elyse. I don’t know what to think about the future.
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Imagine… what might change if we were to redirect some of our disproportionate military/defense spending and foreign aid giveaways.
Oh, pardon me, I was simply thinking out loud.
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I agree on the military spending, but foreign aid helps. At least it did in the past, and with some work, we can help change the negative perception we teenage ‘Mericans have created.
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I agree. In some cases foreign aid yields amazing growth and promise for many in emerging economies. But when one bites the hand that feeds it, I’m far less supportive of aid to those countries. We have such pressing. legitimate needs within our own borders…
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“We have become a nation of petulant fools who can’t think beyond our own immediate needs.”
Yep.
My biggest problem is that we have become two different nations fed by two fundamentally different realities. I don’t know how we will ever get back to a shared experience and reality without some intervening crisis of epic proportions that affects us all.
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Sadly, i’m not sure it will happen in our lifetimes …
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Yep. It’s why I’m trying, relatively unsuccessfully, to gradually pull away from the political debates that rage. After 30 years of being fascinated by politics, I’m just disgusted with it now and want to spend my energies and limited powers of deep thought in a more productive way.
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I know exactly what you mean. I take sanity breaks now and then, but as a mom, an aunt, a great aunt, and recrntly a great-great aunt, well i need to keep theowing myself into the lion’s den. Which sucks. Isn’t it time to hand off??????
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That’s the same problem I have. As a member of society, I feel a responsibility to know what’s going on. To keep informed and to participate. But I am tired of the negative aspects of that participation. The negative aspects which seem to be growing by the day.
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Yeah. We gotta work on that.
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Brilliant & very funny! Thank you! Happy New Year!
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As the father of TWO teenagers, i presume this means i’m right …
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well that’s cast rather a pall of gloom over the evening, hasn’t it? HA!
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What?!?!
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sorry… just being silly… the whole thing about how immature we are is sort of annoying to me… but I am also a little drunk, so it might have seemed less funny to you than to me… that ‘pall of gloom’ thing was a quote from a Monty Python movie.
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Ahhhh
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ahhhhhh choooooooo
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Now I understand why Americans like so much scatological humor in their movies and television shows…
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That must be the reason.
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Oy vey. The teen years are generally worth a miss. But to quote that great political scientist Steve Martin, “But nooooooooo!
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Elyse, absolutely perfect. Frightening but absolutely perfect.
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Thanks Val. I have a feeling my time as an ostrich may be waning …
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There comes a time when we all have to pull our heads out of the sand Elyse. It is a terrible moment of clarity, but don’t worry it only hurts for a minute.
Jubilant and Joyous New Year
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And you, too,Val. I already know it will be better than 2016, and that’s something!
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Errmmm … “We and the world we lead???” I don’t think so. One of the things Americans love to tell themselves is that they’re leaders. Speaking as one who lived 40 years outside of this country … Nah, not true. Sorry. Or not sorry, in light of the dismaying deduction in this post…:)
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What choo talkin’ ’bout? Who led the world to glory in Iraq?
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When did that happen?????
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I guess I meant “gory”
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A teenager. With raging hormones. And pregnant on top of that. That explains a lot about America.
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Yes, and not in a good way.
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Happy New Year, Elyse! Thanks for helping make 2014 a memorable year and thank you for all the support!
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Exactly…238 years old going on puberty.
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Thanks, Toby! Happy New Year to you, too!
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Oh. My. God. Teenager? Totally makes sense!
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Doesn’t it? In a terrifying way, of course.
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A 15 year-old teenage girl at that, God help us.
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Yup. Oh the drama …
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America as a teenager … funny and sad … but a great analogy.
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It’s an analogy?
Coming from a guy who knows teenagers, i really appreciate your comment, Frank.
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It’s official … Happy New Year!
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Thanks, Frank! Same to you!
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