Tuesday, February 01, 2011

Seventeen 'Till I Die

Today my room mate turned seventeen.  I told her, as I always tell people who turn that age, that seventeen is the best year.  In my mind I could fairly happily stay seventeen forever.  But why?

(xCoffeeAddict)
It was actually a pretty crappy year.  I was lacking direction and fought to no end with the school I'd chosen to graduate with.  This ended in tears and the principals office.  As well as fantasies of judo-throwing her incompetent self through the floor (she got fired the next year, and had been shuffled around repeatedly because she can't do her job).

I got kicked out of home.  It didn't last long, but was something of a reflection of my family situation in general.  I never got pregnant, did drugs or assorted rebel behaviour.  My parents just didn't get down with my lack of respect for imposed authority.

I spent three assorted months house sitting.  Nothing seemed more magical then a place to myself.

I questioned the beliefs I was raised with late at night, realizing they'd have to become mine, and not sure if they could.

I built.  Houses, with my Dad.

I passed my road test and took to driving like I was made for it.

I dedicated myself to judo, and subsequently reached my peak.

I struggled to establish a social group after the six month trip earlier that year threw a massive friggin' wrench in the one I was supposed to have.

For whatever reason, all that compiled into a belief that seventeen is independence, freedom and life more abundantly.

In the month before I turned eighteen I bought my own little car that I learned to love.  I also graduated, put a down payment on a place, moved out and got a full time permanent job.

Maybe it's just that I never much cared for being an adult.

6 comments:

Ella Unread said...

Woah you did at 17 what I haven't done yet! And I'm 24!!! :O
Even if you said you didn't respect authorities, you were quite mature and responsible if you moved out so young!!

Coyote Rose said...

I dunno, 17 for me sucks. I didn't have any power to do anything and i was stuck living with my parents. Now 21 was awesome!

Allison said...

When I was 17 I was too scared to drive, but I did finally get my license when I was 18. I've never owned a car. I don't own a house. I don't have a full-time job.

And to add insult to injury, I will be 27 in a few months.

I think you were an adult at 17, even if you didn't think you were.

Kris said...

Well, all you lovely ladies have edumukations. Something I never really did.

I think that I DID transition into adulthood somewhere near the end of being seventeen. It should happen. I guess I just wasn't fond of it.

Rose, yeah. I think that's what I liked about being seventeen was that I felt like I had a nice mix of freedom without too much responsibility...

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Unknown said...

Seventeen is that magical time when you're still a child, but technically think like an adult. You want to make "big" decisions but can still have something to fall back on "Hey, I'm just a kid". I joined the military at 17 after graduating in May. Had to be emancipated and left home still a child. If I could go back, I can't say I'd do the same...but 17 is by far the most amazing age!