volunteer work at one of many outdoor events

This reminds me of an amazing even from my life. When I was about 17, I worked for the Chamber of Commerce in my old hometown, and one of the events they always helped with was the annual Summerfest. I worked at the information tent for a few hours, which was mostly a lonely job. You'd maybe get one person wandering in to ask you a question about every half hour.

But then, about a half hour before my shift was over, this absolutely beautiful little 9-year-old girl--ah, I remember her well, but unfortunately I forgot her first name, but I still remember her last name, sort of (it was either Clement or Clemmons)--came in and sat down and just . . . talked to me. For a half hour! It was amazing. And she was very sophisticated and intelligent for her age--she even asked me once, blushing, if I had a girlfriend, and when I said no, she asked if I would like one. I was in bliss, and no one disturbed us for the whole time she was there. Finally, as my shift neared its end, she had to go, as her parents were ready to leave. They'd been in the beer tent, drinking the whole time, obviously neglecting their amazing little daughter--I can't imagine why.

So, after my shift ended, I watched the rock band play, and it happened that a bunch of children were out in front, just twirling and dancing. The song, ironically, was about growing old and dying, and I just sat there watching the kids dance and play, so oblivious to the song's meaning. Then the sadness of that scene, as well as the fact that Miss Clement had gone home, hit me like a ton of bricks, and that's sort of when I realized why parents are so overprotective of their kids in terms of sex but also so hypocritical in other regards--sex is viewed as an indisputably adult behavior, and children are viewed as not being able to make decisions about sex because of that.

The thing is, parents are saddened to see their children grow up, because it reminds them both of their own impending death and the fact that even their children will some day pass away. So, in an effort control their child's destiny, to prevent them from growing up as long as they can, they withhold sex from kids, keeping them "innocent" until they can't hold them back any longer, and then they let them go, slingshotting towards adulthood.