A child in the cold. A child in the house - Envisioning a brighter future

[The_Great_Sage]

I feel slightly reluctant to present this conversation to this medium, yet i believe it will help me more then I can see now. Recently I have seen more and more of a world that I could live in, that can get my needs met and my wants semi-satisfied. It is essentially a world of adulthood. I am not yet at legal age in America, where I live. This presents a friction, I want to drop out of high school get a job, go to community college, travel, and experience a more intense version of life. This is where the parents and guidance counslers come in and say that there is a necessary and integral part of life that and that I am missing the social aspects and enviromental development that come with completeing high school. Along with every other high school student I am sure, I can sit here and think of a thoousand reasons that I could leave high school and function properly in life and society. The main conflict is presented in the practically of the whole idea. I believe that I would function perfectly fine, even if in difficulty at sometimes, in a world where there is much more expected of me. But at the same token what is expected of me in that situation I see as more simple. So i present that a child brought into the wilderness at a young age and told to cook his own food, provide his own version of warmth, and generally function more on actually experiance level instead of being walked through the park untill he can confront the woods, will develop (at optimum situation) as a stronger person then a child left inside untill an older age then gradually introduced to a camping, cooking, and such. It is merely a question of should i stay or move on from high school. I feel whole heartedly that I as a person could function amazingly in a "harsh" reality of society. (due partly to my experiencing of psychonautical situations). I am not entirely sure that this is completely clear to everyone. I just wish that this place which is free of harsh judgement and open to helping another human being in need is open to letting a young brother into a world which he may not understand yet. Yet again I present the analogy of a child guided in winter to warmth outside to a child guided to warmth in a central heated home. Please help if you can and giv eme some advice. With such a vast population of people here someone can say something that may lend to the guidance of a young brohter in need. And a fellow young person in need of that slightest bit of overlooked information.

thank you all
peace and freedom

i only ask for the people of this forums opinion because i trust everyone to give me their unadulterated

[.rar]

Stay in high school, get a job, and move out of your parents house. See how that goes and then make some decisions. I would recommend getting an education unless you know people that can get you a job that meets your needs and wants.

[wellhelm]

I say soak it up for as long as you can at your parents. Save some money. Stay in school. Whats the rush? The same shity world is going to be there. You don't have to be thrust into the cold to be tough and it may break you. Your going to get your chance to prove to yourself you can make it but this shit is not a joke and if you can't make it your fucked. Why make it harder on yourself? I'd rather be a weaker guy with a easy/better life than a tougher guy with a harder/shity life.

[Solidly-here]

The Great Sage is contemplating some of Life's BIG thoughts: "Recently I have seen more and more of a world that I could live in, that can get my needs met ... I want to drop out of high school get a job, go to community college, travel, and experience a more intense version of life.

... I can sit here and think of a thousand reasons that I could leave high school and function properly in life and society
... I believe that I would function perfectly fine, even if in difficulty at sometimes, in a world where there is much more expected of me ... a child brought into the wilderness at a young age and told to cook his own food, provide his own version of warmth, and generally function more on actually experiance level instead of being walked through the park untill he can confront the woods, will develop (at optimum situation) as a stronger person then a child left inside

... It is merely a question of should i stay or move on from high school. I feel whole heartedly that I as a person could function amazingly in a "harsh" reality of society. ... Yet again I present the analogy of a child guided in winter to warmth outside to a child guided to warmth in a central heated home."

Many 1000s of people move out (on their own), BEFORE they turn 18.
You, too, may be one of those people.

I moved out when I was 16.
I got a job, and supported myself my last year of High School.
I have lived an OK-enough Life.

What many people think is: "If you don't follow the usual way, you will fall apart."
This is bull dung.
Even IF a person has several set-backs, he can come back to a normal Life.

So, in your case, let's pretend that you drop-out of High School, and move out.
If you find that NOT having a degree is killing your adult life, then go back and get one.
You can get a GED, or maybe to Continuation High School.

If you find that you don't have enough money to keep a roof over your head, then you can go back to Mommy and Daddy with your tail between your legs (and listen to them say: I told you so.)

But BIG deal. This is NOT gonna kill you. (In fact, you may get treated better than you are now ... never underestimate their pride in your courage to make a tough choice.)

As long as you can generate enough income to keep a roof over your head, you can rule the roost.

To show how silly this discussion is:
What is the difference between (1) Moving out now, and (2) if you wait until you are 19, to move on your own? Do you (3) suddenly become more intelligent after your 18th Birthday?

You will be the same person. You will have the same problems. You will have the same parents. You will have the same brain you have now.

[Nicaine]

You're 17, how much HS do you have left? A year? Less even? If so, stay in... if you were set back or something and have 3+ years left, the decision becomes slightly less clear-cut (but not that much).

Situations "out there" are going to take as much patience/tolerance as it takes to remain in HS, maybe more. IMO the analogy of coping better through hardship doesn't click in this situation. The hardship "for you" is to stay in school, right? Why not prove to yourself you can finish something like HS, before taking on community college and such. You need a better reason to drop out than boredom (which comes from a person's attitude more than their situation).

[MrG]

Everybody has and will have different advice for you mate. Coming from the UK originally I could leave school at 16 with O level qualifications and still get a good start on the career ladder - not just a "job". Others in my school year stayed on until they were 18 to complete A level exams, of those some then went on to University to attend degree level education.

We all had different reasons for our choices and I sure as hell know plenty who should have grown themselves a pair and left school instead of hanging on to Mummy's apron strings to finance themselves through year after year of academia without any actual idea of wtf they actually wanted to do with their lives.

I left at 16 and worked my ass off in, what was then, the early years of corporate I.T. - I left with barely any qualification because I had the stones to apply for a job based purely on the fact that I was a member of MENSA - Back then it impressed people!

"It was the best of times - It was the worst of times" - That *will* apply to the next ten years of your life, if it doesn't then you are short-changing yourself.

I have grown into someone who is pretty fucking smug about where he is now in life, but I know it didn't come about easily.

I burnt the candle at both ends, I learnt a lot, I made mistakes - more importantly I learnt from those mistakes. That is what its all about.

Life is short, too fucking short if you ask me.

Only you will know what is best for you.

My life could well have turned out to be a whole lot shittier if I had stayed on in school but, the important thing is, I will never know.

I guess the important point I am trying to make here is this:

Whatever decisions you make in life, they are yours to own and by god if you screw up you had better be prepared to accept it and move on.

[The_Great_Sage]

I see what you guys are saying. Mostly this question was presented here to get the opinions that werent from my biased parents or worried friends. Its still all kinda in lingo so, like always, I don't really know what I will do untill push comes to shove. Thanks for your opinions friends.

[Hlucn8]

Swim left home when he was 15, Married and joined the Navy at 17, for many of the same reasons swiy has stated. I wish i had listened to my elders. I wish I had taken it slow. "Slow down, you move too fast. Ya got ta make the moment last..." is good advice. Utilize the opportunities that present themselves at your stage of development. Our society and the way we choose to raise ourselves may not be 'the best' in the world, but it does work, and for a reason. Take your time. Enjoy it.