At Fifteen

When I turned fifteen I was about three weeks from the end of my freshman year at Slatington High School. It was part of the wonder years, perhaps THE wonder year. Not driving for another year, no major romantic relationships, and no part time jobs. Trigonometry had not hit me yet and Algebra was almost over. The Vietnam draft was still a few years away. All that would come later. My mom was still alive. She would be for another year. What a wonderful time! So much possibility. A long life ahead.

Fifteen. Why am I thinking about fifteen and not sixteen or eighteen twenty-one, more milestone birthdays? I blame TikTok. Yes, TikTok. It is the holder of obscure songs that I have long forgotten. In this case it is Five for Fighting’s “100 Years”. The lyrics in this song are wonderful. Do you remember it? Check it out on Spotify. The premise is that at fifteen there is so much time left. The singer checks in at various points in life and the thread going through it is that time goes quickly. His last check in is at age 99 where he is hoping for just one more moment. The chorus of the song, though, is about being fifteen. Let me share, at the risk of breaking copyright laws!

“Fifteen, there’s still time for you

Time to buy and time to lose

Fifteen, there’s never a wish better than this

When you only got a hundred years to live”

I have a birthday coming up next month (yes, May babies are the best). Maybe that is why this song hit me as it did. I wish I was fifteen. But not fifteen in today’s world. Fifteen in 1967. Truly the wonder years. Fifteen in 1967, the Summer of Love.

Before I close this post, I’d like to give a little shout out to Taylor Swift. She wrote about being fifteen, as well as anyone I know, in her song “Fifteen”. I think it should be required listening for every early teen girl. Parents should discuss it with them. Teachers should teach it in school. “Cause when you’re fifteen, Somebody tells you they love you You’re gonna believe them”. There’s a little taste.

So there are some of my thoughts on being fifteen. Five for Fighting and Taylor Swift say it much better. But wow, the wonder years are truly wonderful. They become more wonderful as I age, hoping for just more moments.