Ferguson, T.L. (1997, March 21). "Time with losers: A personal reflection." S. Hamilton, MA: Center for Youth Studies.

OVERVIEW

I first met the losers in July of 1996. I had been working in a coffee shop for about a month when I met Jonathan, the owner’s son. He’s a 17-year-old who was taking a summer school course in geometry. I had seen him before, but he had never really talked to me. One day, he came in to get some coffee because he had been awake all night doing homework. As he was passing through he tossed me a question, "Do you know anything about geometry?" I told him I loved geometry when I was in high school; that began our tutoring sessions. He frequented the coffee shop when I was scheduled to work so he could ask for explanations on problems he didn’t understand.

Occasionally, Jonathan would bring some friends to the coffee shop. That gave me an opportunity to meet and chat with them for a few minutes at a time. When summer was over, Jonathan decided to take a semester off from math. Thus, I didn’t spend as much time with him, but I would still see him and talk with him. I eventually began to ask some of his friends some questions which would give me some deeper insight into their lives. The attitude they seemed to carry didn’t always match their behavior. Many times this group of teenagers would come in to the coffee house to get some drinks or dessert while on their lunch break. I observed that they were really polite. They always asked permission before touching any glasses or getting any food. When they were finished, I noticed that they would not only bus their own dishes but would rinse them out and put them in the washing machine bins.

One night I decided to get to know this group a little better. They all knew me, and they were willing to let me hang out with them one evening. Almost every Saturday night, they attend the local "Rock n’ Bowl." At about 11:00 p.m. the bowling alley starts the music, and everyone begins bowling to the blaring sounds of rock. I conducted most of my interviews with this group amidst this atmosphere.

The music blaring is hip-hop, occasionally mixed with some heavier metal. Jonathan, Kelly, Keith and Ito were in attendance this particular evening. They all like the music—except for Keith. Keith prefers techno sounds, as heard in the industrial music of Marilyn Manson. In fact, on this night, he is sporting a Marilyn Manson t-shirt. Marilyn Manson seems to be his favorite group; that’s the only musician he chose to specifically name. To him, everything else is just the other industrial music. Ito didn’t have much to say about music except that he wouldn’t mind if they played more heavy metal.

All four are dressed in jeans and t-shirts. They view themselves as losers in comparison to other peer groups. They pretty much stick together. Keith tells me that his teachers at school call him the leader of the rejects. I asked him why he was called this, and he didn’t have any real answer. He did say that they probably called him this because he probably is a reject.

Of the four teenagers interviewed, Keith was the most willing to answer questions. He had the most to say about everything. I asked him about his thoughts on the future, and his reaction was, "It stinks!" What exactly stinks? Well, "We f--- up the earth. Everyone will be dead." He does hope to have a family and kids later in life, but that’s very distant, and, of course, he might not live that long. Kelly and Jonathan haven’t thought much about the future. They, too, would like to have families, but they’re still too young to consider it. They suppose they’ll go to college first. Keith adds that he would like to be successful.

"Why are you asking so many questions?" "Are you going to tell on us?" They keep pressing me on my intentions (not that they really care). Jonathan, whom I’ve known the longest, knows that I would never tell on them, and he assures the group that I’m really okay. They are a bit embarrassed to share the phrases they use around each other. Except for Keith. He informs everyone, "Hey, I came up with a new name to call someone today. P---monkey. I’m going to use that." As we all laugh, the group eases their self-consciousness. When one of them has been put down, they usually tell the other person to "finger themselves." Other phrases that frequent their conversations include "spin," "sit on it," and the infamous "I don’t know."

What about TV and magazines? Jonathan likes to watch cop shows, Keith likes HBO and Kelly likes Roseanne. Ito doesn’t watch television. Only Kelly reads magazines. She’s into Seventeen, Rolling Stone, and Spin. Other than that, none of them really likes to read.

I ask them, "Is there anything else you’d like to say to others like parents and teachers, the government?" Keith is the only respondent. He states, "I think everyone should be allowed to do whatever they want whenever they want." In sum, he believes that each person should be an individualist. We should all know how to live on our own, but at the same time, we should all work together toward some common goal. There should be no leaders and no followers. Also, all they want from anyone is respect. They don’t want to be judged by their hair, clothes, or music. They don’t want to be categorized (they thought I was studying adolescent culture in order to be able to categorize teenagers).

HOW CAN THESE YOUTH BE REACHED?

Most of all, this group wants to see results instead of just hearing about them. In order to reach them, they must be accepted as they are—no judging and no categorizing. They really want to be listened to; they want to share their stories.

They like to do things instead of just sitting and listening. If they are allowed to design a program for their peers, lead singing, select topics to be discussed, and know that they won’t be judged, they say may have a better time. These young people need a place where they are respected and can be heard.

Tiffany-Lin Ferguson cCYS