Miscellaneous Forum

On the day i turned 18 and was finally a legal adult who could tell my parents to stuff themselves. Don't get me wrong. I have had a really good relationship to my parents all my life (even if it took a little ajusting for my mother not being able to tell me what to do), but i have always had a strong desire to live my own life with my own decisions and not to follow any authorities whatsoever. And what i loved even more as a youngster was to show the adults that i could do so without going down the drains.

At 18, when I left home to go to university in Wales and never returned (to live, I mean).

Pretty sure I was a fully functioning individual from about the age of 10 - at least that's about when I remember becoming self-aware. The final showdown with my dad was about a month before I turned 18, though. In pre-Wall-fall Moscow, of all places. Became a fully functioning ADULT somewhat later. Only then could I say I was free of parental shackles, by letting go of ...things.

Along the lines of Taylor, I am sure I was a "fully functioning adult" at 15. I packed my bags as soon as I finished my A levels (equivalent of, here in Ireland). I was 17 years and six months. Never even waited for results. I never returned home either, except for holidays. Swore from that day, nobody would ever control me again!

Wow, I never expected my question to get so many interesting answers. Wouldn't it be great if we could sit round a table with good food and - for those who wanted it - wine, and delve further into these psychological memories?

About six months after my eighteenth birthday - left home to go to the University of Bradford and, apart from the odd trip back to see the folks at holidaytime, never looked back. The norm in the UK at that time (and probably still is) was for students to go to university away from their home town. Here in Auckland, most students go to Auckland university and remain at the family home - cheaper that way now.

Yes Paul, it would be great to share our thoughts/memories around a table...worldwide. :-)

I became a fully functional adult soon after my 15th. birthday, when my father was killed in a farming accident.

Goodness me. It wasn't until my dear parents passed away that I HAD to throw off the shackles. When I was young my dad was my best friend. When I had my children my mum became my best friend. And when my two best friends died, I then had to toughen up :o) I am finding that now with my kids. When something is wrong with my grandson, I am the first person my daughter contacts. My children are now my best friends and of course hubby will always be my best friend :o)

I was 17-1/2 and had just graduated high school and started a good job as a private legal secretary, and my Dad died 3 weeks after I graduated, leaving my 38yr old Mother with the 5 of us. So I paid her rent to help out and moved out when I was 19. She was so busy with 3 young kids still at home, she never bothered me and was overbearing when I emigrated to Australia a few yrs later--we always had a great relationship and I took her on a number of nice trips....