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Is what I want in life wrong?

EmmyMarie06 March 12th

I'm 17. going to be 18 in a little under 7 months (September 30!!!). I am SO EXCITED to be 18. I will be 18 through the majority of my senior year of high school. all my life starting from age 7 I thought I wanted to be a nurse. my dad has always been in and out of hospitals bc of a terminal illness, and I remember just wanting to help him yk? I find it fascinating.  but just this year I took a class and very quickly realized that nursing is NOT the path I want to take for a lot of reasons. to sum it up I realized what a load it is just to be a nurse.

My mom worries about my future. she pushes me to have a career plan all set up and set in stone. its stressful to appease my mom because for months I had no idea what I wanted to be. I still don't have a full plan and its scars me because I'm going to be out of high school sooner than it feels like I will be. not too long ago, about 2 months ago I decided to try for the career of being a police dog trainer. I know that I belong in an active or creative career, and preferably one centered around animals - or dogs (my favorite animal - there are dog trainer schools ive look into, but my mom still isn't satisfied. 

"how are you going to pay for the school?"

"you need to get a trade since your so against college, not this"

"what are you going to do? how will you pay rent?"

"you need a real career"

"you should go on a mission to figure your life out (Mormon mission" (even though I'm probably leaving that church for personal reasons, but she doesn't know that yet) 

those are the main points my mom tells me day after day each week and I'm just sick of it. I'm only against college because I don't have the money to pay for it. I know there are student loans and all that but I still have nothing. my parents didn't create a college fund for me because we've been poor my whole life. it doesn't help that my dad wont let me get a real job. I'm hoping he might this summer though. I'm going to get one after I'm 18 during senior year too. 

for a long time I actually wanted to be a singer. I love the creativity and honestly singing speaks to my soul. but because "I didn't ask for it from a younge age" I apparently cant do it now because catching up would be impossible. I understand that there's a lot of stuff I don't know because I didn't know I loved to sing when I was 5 years old. my family also would never have had the money to put me in lessons anyway.  I made the mistake of telling my mom that I wanted to sing. she got mad at me and for 3 days straight told me that it would be stupid to sing. pointless. no one would want to hear me sing. it would do me nothing. so I gave up on that dream I guess. 

I've also thought about going to college for social work, teacher, therapist or journalism. but I haven't had much experience in any of those fields except indirectly with therapist, which could tie into social work. I mean I've done some journalism, and I write well when I actually try....I also have always envisioned myself as a teacher? idk. just the money part stresses me out. 

I hope to move out as soon as high school is over. I cant stand it in my home anymore. I have a long distance boyfriend who lives in Pennsylvania. I haven't told my parents about my bf yet...but I hope to move out to PA soon after high schools over. it would be relatively easy to move up there, and on top of that I have a support system up there too. My bf's family loves me, him and his mom especially. they want me up there, so they would help pay for it. helps that they are loaded with money too. I just want to pay for at least half, cause I don't want to take advantage of their money yk? I feel so safe, and happy when I'm with him. we have a life together planned out and I really hope to make it a reality. honestly (this isn't the teenage girl talking) I think that we have a fair shot together too. 

I know my parents aren't gonna be happy when I leave. I know as an 18 year old they cant stop me, but it still helps to have support from family yk? its gonna hurt if they don't support it. 

on my birthday my bf is planning on flying down here (in Utah) to be with me when I turn 18, and its gonna take a lot of explaining to tell my parents that. he also hopes to come to my senior prom too, which would be 8 months after. then when summer break starts either I continue saving up to move out there or I visit him. idk yet. probably save. definitely visit him when he turns 19 that summer though. (he turns 18 this June) 

I don't know why I'm writing all this. I just want to know if my life "plan" is good or not. ik that not everything is set in stone. ik that there's always that chance that my bf and I wont work out. ik there's that chance that a career wont work out. am I justified to try though? I wont ever give up on my bf, but for the career part should I just drop it and make my mom shut up? or just try. and see where it goes. I tell my mom that I at least want to try. just see where it goes. but she gets mad and says that its not good enough. ik that shes just concerned for my future, and as her oldest child its also a first for her. hard on her too that I'm growing up. but why does she need to keep pushing me towards perfection?

4
toughTiger6481 March 13th

@EmmyMarie06

Parents want a good future for their kids and often push ideas for a path they think is solid and not risky. You have found a passion in something that is very hard and competitive to make a living at. 

Long distance becomes very real when you move in and that is a big step ........far from what you know. what is your plan IF it does not work as well as you think?  Are you just going to be living with your BF is this a situation you think will lead to marriage?  

I would suggest you speak to any mentor type people you have in your life and ask them about how they ended up doing whatever they do for a living.  I feel very few people have followed through on ideas they had as a 5 yr old child ... life happens and you may find you are very good at something you have never even tried. 

Many instances of people they through a few changes in their life are in a career they never even thought of or maybe knew was a choice as a child . 

1 reply
EmmyMarie06 OP March 13th

@toughTiger6481   thank you. I really do appreciate it. yea I've kept in mind that things probably aren't gonna turn out as well as my fairy land dreams hope they will be. I've actually spoken to my bf's mom about all of this. shes become a very important person to me, and one im close to. one that is mature and knows life better than my bf or I do. 

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Union construction jobs are outdoors. All it takes to get in is pass what amounts to a short GED test and pass a drug screen and start. No experience to start. Paid training. Top salaries and benefits. Annual pay raises. Job titles range from electrician, crane operator, road construction inspector, laborer the guy that holds the stop sign when a road is closed. He makes 47$hr. Those jobs are literally anywhere there is a road.


Wish I knew this when I was 18. Good luck.

calmMango9611 July 27th

@EmmyMarie06 I do not think so.