Male Tales 1.097

Issue 1.097: living on your own ....

The last time I touched on this was when I left for college, so that is a difference; it was a temporary accomodation while I am studying. Like some of us who are staying at the dorm or the hostels, or the fraternities, or at your uncle’s house while studying.

They are temporary place of abode. We may pay nominal rent for the use of that place as we are not income earners as yet then. And food may be provided on a ‘starved him not’ request.

But living on your own ....

That’s different. This is the real thing. The numero uno into your adulthood; the first taste of ‘shangrila’ and I am not referring to the hotel chain. ( Search ‘william holden’ and ‘shangrila’ in Google. )

That was what occurred to me last night, when I said good night to my daughter. She is going eighteen and soon will fly the nest to her own nesting. And that means living on your own ....

So no more good night kisses or who she may kiss then.... I dread to think.

No more ‘I will wait for you with the keys’ until curfew hours as she would have her own keys to her own place, and I hoped she locks the door when she comes in.

No more ‘would you be kind to fetch my glass of water’ request from me as she may be miles away. I hoped by car and not by flight.

No more ‘did you see the remote’ as the TV may be all mine.

But how is she going to afford her own’; oops, they don’t watch TV. They only do on YOUTUBE. Guess its time for me to get the DVD Cam and do some home movies to upload to there.

Wait a minute, how can she moved out and living on your own .... when she has not completed her check list of ‘what you need to do before you live alone outside?’ I got it from some webiste and honest with you, after trying it out myself, I wished I was back at my mom’s and being tucked into bed nightly. ( Okay, darling... I was just joking. Mothers can be touchy at times. )

So I decided after some great loss of sleep, I would teach her the do and don’t of living on your own ....

First lesson; everything you do from now; laundry, meals and usage of internet is on a charged basis with ‘real money’ to be paid. Monopoly Money is not a legit tender.

And as a landlord I accept no credit terms. We shall do this for the first 90 days and see how she fares.

If she cleared all her obligations, she can lived on her own.

If not she gets an extended lease on her current place of stay.

She loved my offer and took the later with an option to reconsider when she is twenty five years of age. But she added some new conditions; no more ‘fetch and carry’ requests from me. She thinks I am putting on weight by not doing enough at home.