Are you an independent ("I can take care of myself") or dependent ("curl up and die") person?

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2000

Answers

Well, since Katie mentioned me a couple of times in this entry, I feel obligated to answer her question of the day.

I've always been able to take care of myself. Been doing it for years and years and years... I've gone on a couple of vacations on my own and managed to survive. Once to Hawaii, where a gay guy and a couple of prostitutes tried to have their way with me... erm, hmm, maybe I shouldn't mention that for my "it's safe to be on your own" argument. I also recently spent a week in New York on my own. I walked the entire city, throughout all the various neighborhoods... and guess what... I'm still alive.

I think most people would have no problem anywhere in the world, as long as you dont look like you want to curl up and die. If you walk around with your head down and are all jumpy and shit... well, those perverted people are gonna stick to you like bees on honey, dude. But if you walk like you belong, and know where you are going.. and for god's sake, dont walk around carrying a map. I usually make notes ahead of time and carry a backpack and study my route for a few moments and then go on by memory and notes.

Anyway... I think I'm getting off track, but I've always been pretty independent when it comes to doing stuff. I'm just not easily scared... unless I'm driving down some dark alley in the middle of Harlem or something. :)

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2000

I think I've managed to surprise everyone (including, to an extent, myself) with how independent I've become. I think it comes with age... when I was 17, I don't think I would have trusted myself with cross-country travel or speaking up for myself so I get noticed if there's something going on. Nowadays, though, I'm good to go. Which is good, because the way I fly (after everyone else gets on), I need to be able to stay calm and get to where I need to go. There's a level of independence that starts with the 18th birthday and ends... Christ, I dunno... I'm guessing around 27, maybe. When I get there, I'll let you know.

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2000

I think I'm somewhere in between. I wouldn't consider myself independent even though I'd really want to cuz I'm sort of a mooch. I mean, I'm 17, I live with my parents, I have no job, I eat their food, sleep in the house they bought and all that... But I CAN take care of myself if I need to and If It was survive or die, you can bet I'd survive. So I'm somewhere in between there but I can't really think of a good word for it right now.

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2000

I suppose Dependant.

I lie to my mother all the time about going out and what I'm doing. I feel like she doesn't trust anyone else in the world, making it seem like she doesn't trust me.

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2000

I think I'm leaning towards being more independent, yet I'm 19 and still live with my parents. Luckily, they don't question my every move and let me do pretty much what I want. I'm going to be moving out on my own in less than three months; so, I will be independent then, which I'm totally looking forward to!

-- Anonymous, July 07, 2000

I'm pretty independant, especially now I can drive so I can go out more on my own. And I'm leaving for university this fall, too, so I guess even if I didn't want to, I'd have to learn to manage on my own.

Also, I just wanted to say that my parents are EXACTLY like yours when it comes to the internet, Katie. So far I haven't met, or wanted to meet, anyone I know on the internet, but this summer I'm supposed to be meeting Zed. So far I haven't told them, and I know when I do they'll hit the roof. But I completely agree with you about instincts - even if I didn't have proof that Zed was Zed, my instincts tell me that it's all right, just as my instincts tell me that the guy who's just signed my guestbook ('Richard, 33 yr old male postal worker from Texas - email me, I'm interested in England') is not someone I want to get involved with.

-- Anonymous, July 07, 2000

Right. There are some people who have e-mailed me or talked to me on ICQ/AIM (or sent letters to my school) who are so obviously off their rocker -- you can just tell by talking to them. If somebody sounds like a nut, I'm not going to be like, "Der, okay! Let's meet!" Like I said in my entry anyway, I really don't have much of a desire to meet the people I talk to online... just certain ones that I would probably meet just for the hell of it if the chance ever came up. Like, if I ever go to England, near Zed or Tim, I might ask them if they want to meet or whatever. Course the chances of me ever going to England are slim to none, but you know what I mean.

-- Anonymous, July 07, 2000

I'm very independent. I kind of have to be though. I'm one of those loner-people and to be dependent and an outcast is kind of difficult.

-- Anonymous, July 07, 2000

I'm definitely independent. I get really bugged by people that don't have minds of their own.

-- Anonymous, July 07, 2000

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm Well, people tell me I'm independant, but I think they mistake apathy for independance. I'm not lazy; I'm self motivated, have a job and another job lined up for when I go back to college, have a house, etc. etc., but I don't depend on plans and am generally not very concerned when my course isn't mapped out in its entirely, or at all, for that matter. I'm still going to be alive, regardless of the future, my control of which is only an illusion. I don't let life trick me into believing it's a soap opera and that all things are fated against me, because though I know that things don't fall into your lap, the things that fall on your head rarely kill you...at best they knock you out temporarily. So keeping it all in perspective is important. Anyway;

N.O.

-- Anonymous, July 08, 2000

i'm independent as a muhhhhh.

-- Anonymous, July 08, 2000

LOL.. I'm a little "off my rocker"... I'll admit it.. But I met 3 of my best friends off the 'Net. They lived in the same town as me except when I was in 10th grade, they were in 8th so I didn't know them and they all started e-mailing me and then when we met at the beginning of the next school-year, I was like, WOAH, cuz they're really cool.... So the 'Net is good.. And well, we couldn't exactly not meet since we lived in the same town ... but the point is, I talked to all 3 of them on the net for the whole summer before I met them and I'm glad I met them.... so the Net is GOod.. (Ok, I don't know if I really had a point)

-- Anonymous, July 09, 2000