When you’re young, you never see yourself as being alone.
Until I arrived in Newton, I guess I never saw myself actually living alone. I’d lived with my parents. I’d lived with my college buddies. Having my own place was nice, but it did get rather lonely sometimes.
Cramming all of my stuff into a U-Haul four months ago seemed like a dream come true. I was finally moving out, away from my parents.
What 22-year-old doesn’t want to prove to themselves that they can live on their own?
Knowing what I know now, I’d definitely do a few things differently, though. I think there’s a stigma that people have to overcome.
If you express that you need your parents, or want them in your life, it’s a sign of weakness when it shouldn’t be.
Now I understand that’s not true. As a matter of fact, appreciating your parents as you get older is a sign of growing up.
Most teenagers think their mom and dad are old farts who know nothing about nothing. They don’t understand that parents are human too.
Everyone is human and as The Cure would say, humans need to be loved. There’s nothing wrong with accepting that love from your parents.
Using it as a crutch, sure, but using it to bolster who you are and who you want to be, that’s called being a good child.
When I get home the first thing I’m going to do tonight is watch a movie with my father. I’m going to buy a six-pack of beer and watch movies with him until midnight. Then, when we’ve decided that the main character in this bad movie was actually ripped off from a Scorsese film, we’ll move into the kitchen while we discuss our lives.
No one discusses like my dad.
The next morning I’ll wake up and hug my mom. Sunday, we might watch the Chiefs game. I only plan to live at home for a month, and when I move I’ll only be 30 minutes away, but I plan to make the best of the next month.
Once I’m out of the house, I’ll have another apartment. I’ll meet people and become friends with them and I hope I’ll start a life. When it comes down to it, Newton was a cocoon.
I had a lot to learn before I moved up here. Paying bills was an interesting lesson. Having a lease was pretty interesting too.
Nothing is as interesting as the people I met. As a journalist, you have to appreciate and question people at all times. A little bit of love and paranoia.
I can’t shout everyone out that made Newton awesome for me, so I’m just going to shout out the person at the top of the list. Ty Rushing; the biggest Newton celebrity.
My editor said something in complete sarcasm the other day, “Cause it’s so horrible being Ty Rushing in Newton.” This town loves you, and you love it.