Thread: from Childhood to Adulthood (members 18+)

I used to care what everyone thought about me. I used to shut up and be the silent one of the crowd because I was scared of what they would think of me. I wanted to fit in and I thought I would do anything to do so. I was not one of those kids that grew up with everybody. I was more of the kid that moved around alot from my parents to aunts and uncles, grandparent, back to my mom. So it was kinda hard to make friends. I was always the one that was taking the blame for someone when they got into trouble and so became known as a outcast to my own family. I didn't know who I was I was so confused and I didn't know what to do. As I entered high school I began to let my true self or what I thought was my true self show. I became hated by the crowd I so wanted to be part of. Then I found a new crowd a crowd that loved to do the same things that I did and I expressed myself even more. If it wasn't for them I would still be lost and thinking I needed to do things to be excepted. It wasn't really till I was married that I really stopped caring what everyone thought about me except for one major person in my life. It's because of those friends and my husband that I can be myself today and not care what others think.

In school all the kids cared about in life was drama...I have to admit I caused alot of it myself. Now that I'm finally 18 I don't care about it. I actually want it out of my life. I used to spend money like it was nothing now I'm learning to treasure it when it's time to pay the bills and when it comes time to get things. I don't just grab just because I want anymore...I actually think about it first. I never understood what my parents went through untill I started to have to pay my husbands bills at 17 now that I'm 18 I have bills of my own on top of bills from him. I used to always say I can't wait to be 18 so I can move out but you know what I moved out at 17 and guess what it was really hard without Paul here and for right now I'm back home with my mom. 18's not to be taken lightly you think "I can't wait to do this and do that" but when it comes down to it you have 2 car payments, phone bill, internet bill, insurance payments, grocery's, light bill, and water bill. That's just some payments though. There are times to be kids too...those times are just limited. Like for me when I take the time to be a kid is when I play a game with my little sister. Before I turned 18 my sister and myself used to fight like crazy now we just get along so well. My kid side is brought out when we are just playing around. It's not bad to act like a kid as long as you know when it's time to become the adult again.

I experienced leaving home when I was 17 for three months in London, England. I was on a dance course and I had to deal with buying my own food, cooking and dealing with the studies from my dance course as well as studying for my A-levels as I was in my final year at high school and they allowed me to go and take up the offer of being an apprentice for a dance company.

It wasn't untill I got to Uni that it felt more at home. Especially when I wasn't able to get Uni dorms I was in a shared flat and most of the time, my house mate wasn't around and I was able to make myself right at home. Being at Uni helped me to get used to things and seeing as I got a student loan for all my years at Uni it helped focus more on paying bills and studying. Although I am 21, I have a loving boyfriend and could only ask that we are able to start a life together. Makes sorting out my future plans a littler hard as things are still uncertain.

Ever hear the phrase:

"Live your life up as a kid because when you grow up..it's gone"

Well, I've heard that all the time and now I KNOW it's true. When you are in that adult age you have worries, bills, and relationship problems. I really wouldn't say that 18-22 yrs is all that bad because those are the party years. People think that they are free finally and coud do anything they want. Drink all they want and just waste their money on material things. 23-and so on, I think that's when your life starts. All the studying, playing, party has to stop because you have to build your life up. If you continue on that path then you will be poor and with even MORE porblems.

we are who we are, no one can change who we are, if we have a habit that someone hate, it their problems not ours and they cant do anything, our problems is only our problems unless friends can help, other than that its only ours. when i turned 18 i realised that i cant changed things to make my life better or to suit my way. when i was in high school i thought life was hard, then i realise that working 5 days a week 8 hours a day is harder that studying for any hsc test for school, and the hsc was hard. i sometime wonder why we humans was put on this planet for?. was we put on to destory the planet with cars and other pollutions? was we put here to repair the earth after trying to destory it with the pollution?. on wonder why adults can get so stress so easily, it because of the pressure of work, mariage may be falling apart and possible of kids keep nagging you and money problems in life.

You know I feel a little ackward. lol when I had gotten into middle school (6th grade or 7th grade) I realized that no matter what you say to try and make the other person believe you they will belive what they want to anyways and you cant change it, hum for isntance I like Pokemon, heck I play it all the time, honestly I used to get agravated when people asked "Oh what are you playing?" and when I replyied Pokemon, they were like "oh you like pokemon oh haah your a kid" or something on those lines, so now adays, I just be myself and if they cant stand who I am inside they can leave me alone because I dont care, but when I do find a friend that actually takes the time to get to know me, I realize they are true friends and your stuck with them. but when I look back at my child hood I did crazy things about once or twice and got into trouble with the law too but that was the past, anyways now I just think that me being crazy or what not is a way to make the world more interesting, so what ever you guys do act yourself and be who you are.