Tick tock, tick tock; I watch the hands of the clock move slowly over its face, ticking away every second, second, second of my life. Then it hits me. My birthday is quickly encroaching upon my life, but with all the testing (STAR, SAT, AP’s), I nearly forgot about its existence.

As a wave of nostalgia suddenly hit me, it occurred to me that I would no longer be “sweet sixteen.” Sixteen is traditionally a turning point in an adolescent’s life; at sixteen, they are to be presented to society. No longer are they the sticky-fingered children of yesteryear; young men and women stand before you, ready to take on their own individual responsibilities and tackle the worlds’ problems head-on.

Sweet, sweet sixteen; the alliteration just rolls off the tongue – perhaps a little too easily. Girls run around screaming, “I’m turning sweet sixteen!” or “Look, look! She’s sweet sixteen!” Boys turn their head aside when it’s their time (either attempting to avoid punches or being called “sissy” for proclaiming sweetness.) It’s assumed that anyone turning sixteen is automatically sweet. However, it’s quite the contrary.

Though popularized by pop culture icons such as Billy Idol, B.B. King, and Hilary Duff; true sweet sixteen-ers are rare. The reality show, “My Super Sweet Sixteen,” on MTV further emphasizes the wrong idea of a sweet sixteen-er. They portray Sweet Sixteen as time to get lavished upon because “I’m fabulous, so I deserve it.” Naturally, turning sweet sixteen entitled these girls (and in some cases, boys) to recieve all the spoils of being sweet, but most of these sweet sixteen-ers are not so sweet. It’s not just the obnoxious behavior, frivolous spending, or even the scandlous party themes – it’s the fact that they’re really not “sweet.”

A real sweet sixteen-er is entirely different from simply someone who is of age; sweet sixteen denoates sweetness, innocence, an purity – ever heard the saying “sweet sixteen and never kissed?” The origin was from the belief that until you reach the age of sixteen, you refrain from any kind of “adult” activities: this includes driving, drinking, and dating.

In this day and age, participating in such activities is not so unusual anymore. It’s been said that we live in one of the most audacious day and ages , but naturally, no one takes it seriously. They called the flappers of the 1920’s scandalous and if they were to reappear in our time now – they’d be considered tame. As time passes, perception changes. However, do words and traditions change? Perhaps in connation, but denotation is meant to be solid; carved in stone. Sweet sixteen is one of those words that don’t change. The innocence of sweet sixteen remains forevermore.

Yet, being “sweet sixteen and never been kissed” is looked upon as taboo in this day and age. You’re not sweet if you haven’t kissed someone before you’re sixteen; you’re dowdy and unattractive and probably have no chance with a member of the opposite gender evermore. Although harsh, it’s the way several people view this phenomena – or lack of.

As another girl passes by me in the hallway with a bunch of balloons labeled “sweet sixteen,” I wonder if she really is sweet sixteen. I wonder why people see such an issue with being an adolescent who’s not still “sweet.” I wonder and I wonder before it strikes me – why does this subject bother me so much? Then it hits me, I’m going to be a sweet seventeen – and I’m just fine with that.