Feels Like the First Time (Holly Schindler)

 

I always thought, when I was younger, that there would be a point when I felt like I knew what I was doing. 

I have stopped waiting for that day to come. 

That's what everyone says is the draw to writing YA, right? That everything is new and fresh to the characters? They're acting as adults for the very first time. I've said that, too. But in reality, I find myself as an adult in situations that are consistently unlike any previous situation. I mean, I am constantly trying to navigate new waters. 

The YA books I remember with great fondness are those that allowed me to kind of vicariously try on new situations. How would I navigate the waters of a first romantic relationship? Driving? I mean, kids might have a more sophisticated world view, but some of this is evergreen. Everybody has their first kiss. First time behind the wheel. First job. First time away from home.

I guess the hard part about adulthood is that the firsts keep coming, but they're sort of unpredictable. Did I know I was going to need to learn about caring for a creature with epilepsy? Did I imagine I was going to need to know how to wire an attic fan motor, or help a neighbor stranded during a storm? No--not like I knew I would someday be faced with the dreaded first driver's test. The firsts never stop, they just start coming unannounced and out of nowhere.

I still have great fondness for the YA characters who bumble and manage to come out ahead. I think most teens still do that. Heck, I still do that, as an adult. 

It just might be the thing that connects us all, and still, no matter how the industry or culture changes, makes YA so incredibly universal.

~

Holly Schindler's first YA, A Blue So Dark, is available anywhere books are found.