Teen Essay Winner: Message to teens of 2047

The first thing I would like to say is congratulations to you, a Catholic teenager in the Diocese of Albany, on the Diocese's 200th anniversary. As I am writing this, it is 1997, and our Diocese is marking its 150th year. Your life in 2047 must be quite different from mine. I would like to tell you a bit about a teenager's life in 1997.

This has been a year of many events. Our beloved Mother Teresa of Calcutta has passed away, and her passing was mourned by not only Catholics, but also by the entire world's religions. Princess Diana of England died in a car crash, and because of this tragedy the people of the world now seem to have more compassion for the private lives of well-known people.

As for my life as a teenager, let me tell you of the everyday schedule I keep. Monday through Friday, I attend classes at Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons School. School runs for ten months out of every year. We have summers off. I like sports, as do most teens in 1997. I'm on the JV girls volleyball team at school, and I also enjoy playing basketball and soccer.

Teenagers in 1997 look up to many people as heroes. We like sports heroes, like Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods. In music, we like all kinds of stars, such as Jewel and No Doubt. But, mostly, as Catholic teenagers, we always did and always will consider Jesus our greatest hero.

In 1997, teens worry about things in their everyday lives. We worry about friends, grades, sports, dating and our families. But we also worry about important things that affect the future of the entire world. We are concerned about too much violence, saving the environment, and world peace. I hope that as you read this in 2047, these troubles will be over, and that terrible illnesses such as AIDS and cancer will be cured.

Catholic teens in 1997 believe that we should live our lives the way Jesus would want us to. Sometimes, it's not easy to live the life of a Catholic teen. In 1997, we teens are faced with a lot of pressure to do wrong things, for example, drugs and gangs. However, we love Jesus and know that His way is the only way to live, no matter how cool some people try to make the bad stuff look.

Volunteering ourselves to help in the community is a major part of a Catholic teen's life in 1997. Some teens volunteer to help health organizations, while other teens volunteer in everything from food pantries to cleaning parks. I like working with little children, so my favorite place to volunteer my time is at daycare centers. My Catholic elementary school that I used to attend has a daycare center. I love to volunteer my time helping out there because the little children are so sweet and lovable. I get as much from them as I give.

I don't know what your life as a Catholic teenager is like in 2047, but I think that while styles, music and certain things about life have changed, the most important things in a Catholic teen's life are still the same. I know your life centers around Jesus and the Catholic Church as does mine. I also know you love your family and friends.

As for the future, I hope teens of 2047 realize that when they think of the teens of 1997, we were actually not that much different at all.

(11-05-98) [[In-content Ad]]