Holden Caulfield: The Man, The Myth...All Of Us

Each and every one of us knows Holden Caulfield. The funny thing is, when I say this, I am not specifically referring to THE Holden Caulfield; but to all of us. I refer to my freinds, to my classmates, and to myself. The truth is that, however appealing it may or may not be, as teenagers, we all have a bit of Holden within ourselves. Be it the uncertainty, the pent up angst, or the will to flee from where we just are not comfortable, every teenager that I know shares more of Holden Caulfield's characteristics than they may expect.

I, myself, can certainly relate to the ways and traits of Holden. As someone who struggles with where he is at the moment, I can easisly sympathize with some of what Holden feels. However, there are also MAJOR differences between he and I. I have not been through one tenth of the pain and suffering that Holden has felt in his lifetime. I hope to god that I never experience a life in the way that he lived his own. Another major difference between Holden and myself is in the way that we handle ourselves when it comes to unfavorable situations. When I find myself in a place that I would rather not be, I often choose to follow a path of sublimation and outlet my feelings in the most positive way that I can (be it songwritting, running, etc.) Our friend, Holden, on the other hands seems to approach these circumstances in a slightly different mannor. Not that I am saying that becoming a 16 year old binge drinker is a problem, but I do feel that there MAY be healthier ways to cope with stress. But if being a teenager will teach you one thing (honestly it will teach you millions of things) it will teach you that you must find a good, healthy way to deal with what you may rather not. Holden knows that. I know that. We are not all so different it seems.