Article April 18, 1970 Issue

Outside the "In Group"

[For young teens]

JULIE CAMPBELL TATHAM

Let's say you're a thirteen-year-old girl and a member of the "in group" at Junior High. Furthermore, you're the only Christian Scientist in the group. This hasn't bothered you before because the things your gang usually does are things you feel happy doing, like swimming in summer and ice-skating in winter. But during the Christmas holidays things have somehow changed.

It really began last fall when Maxine started going steady with Greg. Everyone had always done what Maxine did, but you hadn't wanted to go steady. And then at the Christmas party Maxine said, looking pointedly at you, "We're old enough now to go steady. And my father says it's okay to drink champagne on Christmas Eve." So you let David kiss you and you took a sip of his wine and a puff of his cigarette. That wasn't what you really wanted to do, but the thought of being outside the "in group" was unbearable.

Have you the moral courage to break away now, just when it's so important to be popular? Yes, you have!

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

The Motherhood of God