I used to be up on the fashions and likes/dislikes of teenagers because I worked with them everyday and they took great joy in educating me – they like setting us old folks straight.  But I haven’t worked directly with teens in about 5 years.  I’m no longer up on what is in or what is cool.

Today, we held a college fair for teens in out of home placements.  We had about 150 kids attend and I’ve never felt so ancient.  I’m pretty good at connecting to teens one-on-one or in small groups.  But the larger the group, the larger the attitude.  So outside of talking to the kids as they came to the table I was manning, I just sat back and watched.  An awful lot of pregnant girls – and 75% smoked which made me sad.  And when did it become cool to not bathe?  Because these kids smelled a bit funky.  I didn’t see one kid who didn’t have a cell phone on his or her hip.  And the girls all have acrylic nails – I can’t even afford that!  But the one thing that I really don’t understand above all is how do the boys make their pants stay that low and not fall off?  I saw one boy who walked with his hands in his pockets to keep them.  But the rest didn’t seem to have trouble.  Putting the why aside (because it isn’t attractive and it can’t be comfortable to have the crotch of your jeans at your knees), I really am curious about the how.  I’m fascinated.  I probably looked like a perv starring at all of the boys butts but I really wanted to ask them how they do it.  Do they make boys pants really long wasted so that they can sit on their hips with the crotch and pockets still hanging to their knees?  Do they belt them really tight just below their butts?  Seriously, that is a gravity defying feat to rival my bangs in the 80’s.