The first time I ever got into any trouble at school was for kissing my eighth grade boyfriend outside by the buses. The kiss was extremely tame, similar to something that would be seen on The Brady Bunch. This did not matter however, as my mother was called to be told that I had been engaging in behavior “inappropriate for a school environment.” I was later told that the issue had not been the kiss itself, but rather the fact that elementary students could have seen it. I understand that the maturity level of seven year olds is quite different from that of seventeen year olds, however, this lead me to question: is anyone ever really old enough to see other peoples’ relationships to that extent?

Now I am not a prude, and if you were to ask my friends, they would probably tell you that I am in no way private about the subject of sex. The key word in that sentence would be friends. I am a major believer in the fact that one’s “business” should remain between them and what could be called their “business associate.” The one exception to this rule would be those people that you choose to discuss your business with. And them only.

In most forms of pop culture, sexual content is rather explicit, whether it be steamy sex scenes in movies, passionate kisses on TV, or lust driven imagery in songs. I have no problem with this whatsoever. What I do have an issue with is being able to, or in many cases forced to, receive these same images in my mind purely by looking at a person.

I know this may seem like an exaggeration, but this is one side effect to talking about your sex life. An even larger cause of this is when one demonstrates these acts in the hallway of South. In front of everyone. Everyday. I would describe it as disgusting.
I know I probably am going to now sound like a hypocrite, but I do think that kisses are, in some ways, just fine in a public environment. It ends at kisses though. This does not include ‘kissing,’ and believe me, there is a difference.

Kisses are meant for good byes, greetings, and small moments of happiness. They are quick, short, and to the point. Straight lip on lip contact. Kissing, on the other hand, is completely different. The intensity of kissing varies, from short kisses with more passion, to full on mackin’.

Short passionate kisses are allowed in some public situations, such are marriage proposals, but that’s about it. Please don’t mack in public. If you have ever engaged in macking, or even seen it, then you know what I am talking about. If not, ask someone else.
I believe that my main problem with witnessing peoples sex lives is that it make me feel exposed about my own. It is almost as though having to compare yourself to others based purely on how much activity their tongue gets. Not only does it have the ability to make me inadequate, though I am perfectly happy with the happenings of my tongue, but also it makes me think quite a bit about how others think of me.

If I’m able to look at someone and be disgusted by them, how are people able to look at me? Nearly everyday I am presented with a new rumor about how this girl is a sex fiend or how that boy has a severe case of crabs. Personally, even a rumor of said disease would decrease my desire to be around someone. Besides, if rumors can completely change my opinion of another, even without a basis of fact, how do rumors change how people think of me? How do they change the way they act around me? This is especially concerning considering the fact that my life is dreadfully tame.

This discussion now brings up the topic of how easily one’s opinions can be swayed. Now I know that no one will admit to judging people based on things that are not their own personal experiences, but lets be real, everyone judges. They judge the first time they see anyone. It may not be severe, like feeling hatred for someone, but everyone gets an opinion of another based purely on their appearance, its just the way things are. These opinions are driven even deeper by rumors.

The teen mind is a hard thing to change. If you hear a girl you don’t like is a slut, then well, she has just got to  be a slut. His or her true actions matter little in these cases, as whether or not she is liked matters more. So if someone is given the proof of a stone cold rumor then it is pretty much written law. If this is true, which I believe it to be, then it makes sense, at least in my mind, to keep your own sexual business to yourself so as to decrease the amount of negative attention you may receive. It may not decrease this amount to zero, but it will at least deny those who are going to think badly regardless of any actual proof or even glimmers of proof to your ‘sluttyness,’ or lack thereof.

Most importantly however, please stop making out in the hallways. Continue to gossip and discuss as you will, but please stop kissing in front of me.