how disappointing.

My parents and I decided to go to Tea Shop 168 on Utopia today for lunch. We were originally reluctant to go there because we pretty much knew that chances were, there would be a mass of high school kids from Francis Lewis hanging out inside, and that's not a very peaceful environment to be eating your lunch in. Luckily, it was a pretty quiet day inside, so we ordered and sat down to eat. I'm almost done eating my baked Portuguese chicken over rice when a bunch of high school kids appear and start loitering in front of the restaurant. They're looking in through the glass, and I can tell that they're obviously wanting to hang out inside, but since all the tables were taken, they couldn't.

A few minutes later, the table in front of us gets up to leave, and four of the high school kids outside come in to sit down. As soon as they come in, a wave of commotion and restlessness comes with them. And suddenly, the restaurant is in a state of unease. Why? Because of all the boisterous talk and snickering coming out of their mouths being directed at the girls about having sex. Not to mention the two guys cacophonously insulting the two girls at the table, hitting them on the head, grabbing their hair and pushing them down to the tabletop, and threatening them with a fist raised and a sly grin, as if it's nothing. I guess you could call it joking from their perspective, but I think it crosses the line when any guy can have so little respect for himself and for others that he would dare to hit a girl. Coupled with the kind of vulgar language being used and disrespect for their surroundings and the other restaurant patrons, any respect I had previously had for high schoolers suddenly went down the drain. I know there must be decent high schoolers who actually possess morals and some sense, and I really do and want to believe that not all high schoolers are like this. But it's just so sad and disheartening to see the current state of our youth today.

"Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving." -Ephesians 5:4