Sometimes young people have problems at home just because there is no dialogue—children don’t talk, parents don’t talk and conflicts(冲突) broke out when you least expect them…

Clothes seem to be one of the causes of these conflicts. Either you want to buy too expensive ones, or you look like a homeless person—parents want you to dress smartly and seldom understand your style. Some other times it’s your behavior that makes your parents unhappy.

In Britain today, more and more young people want to be independent and leave home between the age of 16 and 20. Some are students; others run away to avoid their homes which are overcrowded and unhappy. They go in search of work or of a more exciting life.

We asked Phil Tillinghurst, 17 years old, to examine his life, the good and the bad things about being his age.

He said, “I don’t know whether this is the best time of my life because I still have got the rest of it to go, but until now it’s been good. Having said that it’s also one of the most difficult times because you already have to take important decisions about what you are going to do, what subjects you want to specialize in, what career… That’s why this is the time for trying out the different things that you think you may like, so that you can find out what you are best at for the future. You also have the chance of being almost an adult but still getting away with being young. Your parents don’t treat you like a child. they trust you more… I know that parents are only worried about what’s happening to you, but sometimes they really worry too much… I get on OK with my parents. A lot of people think that boys have more freedom than girls, but in fact I know some girls that have more freedom than I do. I have many friends and their parents are stricter than mine. They have to be back at a certain time and there’s no ‘but…’ about it. I have no major problems, though money is always a problem. Everyone is always running out of money these days, but that’s about it.

In Helping Others, You Help Yourself

Amanda paid attention to a lonely girl for quite a lot of time. She was named Emily. Amanda shared a physics class with Emily, where Emily always sat in the back on her own. Amanda wondered if Emily needed a friend.

One day, Amanda found a chance to speak with Emily after class. Emily seemed surprised at being talked with. But she gave Amanda a shy smile as Amanda introduced herself and started a conversation.

Emily answered Amanda’s questions with such detail that Amanda was left with the thought that Emily wanted to make new friends very much.

Emily was new to the town. She had no relatives or friends here. So Amanda told her that she would provide introductions for her friends.

A few days later in the lunchroom, Amanda found Emily sitting at her regular place. But this time she was smiling in her direction. Amanda waved her hands, inviting Emily to join them. Emily looked nervous, but she took her plate and walked ahead. Amanda introduced Emily to the other girls sitting at the table. And everyone welcomed Emily and included her in the conversation at once. Emily gave Amanda a grateful smile, and Amanda was glad that she had taken time to know Emily.

Helping others not only means giving other people happiness, but also giving you a chance to know more about others.

Recently, several unhappy things happened to Gina. One afternoon she called a friend to talk about them. After hearing her words, the friend invited her to her home for tea and said, “All trouble will disappear after tasting tea.”

Gina couldn’t believe her, but she still decided to go for relaxation. At the friend’s home, her friend took out a square box and said, “I asked someone to buy the tea from China. It’s said that there are five tastes.” Then, her friend opened the box slowly, took out a spoon of tea carefully, put it into a teapot(茶壶) gingerly, and then poured in boiled water softly.

Only one minute later, the friend poured out a cup of tea and asked Gina to taste it. Gina drank it but nearly puked(吐) it out. She shouted, “Is this tea? It tastes like medicine!”

The friend just smiled. She re-poured boiled water into the teapot. After a minute, the friend poured out another cup and asked Gina to try the second one. Gina took a drink and found it was not as terrible as the first one but still bitter(苦的). This time she didn’t shout. When Gina drank the fifth cup, a sunny smile shone on her face. She said, “It tastes good! I’ve never tasted such a wonderful flavor(味道).”

The friend said, “Life is just like this! Only when we taste it patiently can we feel happy.”