I would think, that when I get to be your age, I would love to be reminded of my teenage years.

Oh, Gawd. Anything but that. You suffer so much as a teenager, if you're the least bit different from all the rest. It's all suffering you inflict on yourself, because you accept the group's - the tribe's, I should say - judgment of you as bad and inferior because different. But it's very real at the time.

What happened at Columbine what simply an extreme reaction to pressures that a large minority, at least, of all teenagers have to deal with.

When you hit middle age, you are able to realize that the majority of the tribe are a pack of assholes, and go about the business of picking out the ones that aren't, to associate with. By that time, a number - by no means all - of the assholes have outgrown being assholes; or else become politicians or corporate executives. So there are more people available that you can get along with. But in your teens, you're either a bully or a victim. Both, depending on whom you're with, in many cases.

Obviously, I have a biased take on it. But that's my take for what it's worth.

I've had a very happy life, starting around age 20.

Peter.