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I never set out to become 'famous.' I mean, when you're 14 you think 'I'm gonna become a writer and people will want my autograph and that'll be cool,' but you grow up and you learn that's just not how the world works. I resigned myself to the fact that I would probably never be published and if I did it probably wouldn't be a big deal.

Here's my theory: If a person gets worldwide fame at a young age, they're emotionally frozen at that moment. For me, that's 15 to 18, so you find yourself in your mid-20s being a glorified 15-year-old. What could possibly go wrong?

I can deal with it now, but 13 is a tough age to be recognized and famous. It's a tough age, period.

I intended to be famous by the time I was 16 and rich by the time I was 20. Curiously, it didn't pan out!

Hollywood is geared toward teenage idiocy.

Ultimately, the only people who are in any way edified by hanging with famous people are you at the age of 11 and your mom.

I didn't realize that winning the Olympics at age 14 automatically put me in the category of being a celebrity.

These days, with 'American Idol' and all the other reality shows, young people become famous overnight, and that can be very difficult to handle, the way photographers follow you around and study your every move.

I definitely wanted to be famous as a kid, but as I've gotten older, I feel less comfortable with it.

Adolescents are attracted to tragic heroes. That's why rock stars dress like homeless people. Adolescence is a fall. It's when every child becomes an orphan.