I’m sure there are earlier times in my left when I felt independent, but the story that comes to mind happened when I was 15.
I got scheduled for knee surgery in the spring, a time of year when my dad (a saxophone player) was always gone on tour.
Before the surgery, I had to spend a day at the hospital, doing a whole bunch of pre-op appointments.
The military hospital was about an hour from our house, and since my mom was solo parenting during tour, she dropped me off at the hospital and I navigated myself around for the whole day.
I don’t remember a whole lot about specifically where I went and what I did, but I definitely remember that I enjoyed the feeling of being independent. Navigating on my own, handling all the appointments on my own, following the directions to the next office…all of that made me feel very independent.
Looking back on this, I feel impressed that my mom felt confident enough in me to leave me for the day. I think I might worry if I left Sonia at the hospital for a day, and she’s older than I was at the time!
(Maybe I am more of a helicopter mom than I think I am. Hmm.)
I think it was when I got my first paycheck. I realized I was capable of handling my own money. I told my mom I would pay for all my clothes &bus fare . I used the bus to get to &from school. My folks paid for my tuition &had 2 younger brothers
Ooh yes, a real paycheck feels so grown up!
I think when I started flying around the country as a stand-by passenger. Meaning no ticket, just able to get on the plane if there were seats. My dad was an airline pilot, so we got those passes, but it was actually pretty involved figuring out the loads and connections and all. And occasionally there would be flights I couldn’t get on and I would have to look in the little flights booklet (no phones or Internet then 🙂 and figure out alternative ways to get where I wanted to go.
I started doing that when I was 14 years old. I would take the shuttle van from Tucson to the Phoenix airport and obviously someone would pick me up on the other end. I was just going to visit family, mostly.
Like you, I can’t imagine letting my own children do that. 🙂
My first job was as a waitress. I remember going home with a pocket full of tip change the first night, running the dines and quarters (this was in the late 60s) through my fingers like Silas Marner. It was mine, all mine!!
Wow, I think it’s interesting that you had to have knee surgery at such a young age as a non-athlete, and that your father was a professional touring musician! I’d like to hear more about those! No wonder you are a musician!