Because teenaged girls would rather discuss their relationship issues than important, newsworthy things like oil spills, recessions, or even Britsol Palin's secret engagement to Levi Johnston, we have a tendency to write them off as simply boy-crazed shallow ditz. However, I am here to defend the honor and reputation of these walking talking Judy Blume novels. Teenaged girls, in their search for answers regarding the objects of their obsession, their male counterparts, are actually quite spiritual. They are completely and astutely in tune with the universe in its most basic form and the things that unite the entire human race. I came to this conclusion while reading the New York Times Bestseller, Eat, Pray, Love. True to my "shallow" roots, I admit that I only purchased the book because of my longstanding belief that I will one day meet and marry James Franco who is going to star in the upcoming movie version of the novel. Somewhere in between eating and praying (about a third of the way into the memoir), Elizabeth Gilbert shares with the audience the idea that human beings, as a whole, regardless of age, race, or religion are truly concerned with one thing: love and relationships.

She goes on to recount an instance in which a psychologist friend of hers was going to talk to a group of Cambodian refugees. Expecting to have nothing in common with these people who not only live a completely different lifestyle, but who have survived rape, famine, and torture on top of that, she was unsure if they could reach any common ground. She was shocked to find that the refugees all wanted to talk about their relationship issues. Though Gilbert may have exaggerated the Cambodian's eagerness to divulge the intimate details of their relationships, she reminds us of what is truly important in a person's life. Despite the differences between us, whether it be in terms of culture or experience or even goals and plans for the future, we all share a desire to love and to be loved in return.

Before you start covering your ears for fear that I may start belting out a medley of Elton John or Celene Dion songs, I will move on. By no means am I suggesting that we all quit our jobs, drink from the fountain of youth and join a commune where our sole goal in life is to explore the inner workings of the human heart (although when it's written out like that, it doesn't sound half bad). I am suggesting that we look to these teenaged girls as inspiration. As we get older, our focus becomes more practical.  We spend so much time worrying about "serious" matters that we have no time left to work on our relationships. As a result, our marriages fall apart, we lose touch with our friends, and we only talk to our families on birthdays and holidays. By taking time out of our world of war and hate and water bills, maybe we can learn to appreciate the simpler things. Sure, we may have to invest in a more extensive phone plan (working on relationships takes a lot of communication!) but I cannot think of anything more worthwhile.