cfitz wrote:MonteLDS wrote:is anyone proud of me??

Jonathan, you don't need us to be proud of you. Some of us, despite our harsh words, do wish you well. But our approval isn't what you should be seeking. Instead, you should be seeking to understand yourself and what motivates your decisions, learning how to respect both yourself and others, figuring out how you can truly make yourself happy, discovering how to cultivate a lasting, meaningful, equal relationship, and finally deciding what you can do to leave this world a better place than when you entered it.
One way to help do all this is to get out there and meet different people, see different places, try different activities and experience the variety of what life has to offer. You are young, you have much to learn, and you have time to learn it. Take advantage of that time, don't rush in, explore many options, and for heaven's sake just enjoy yourself!
So, am I proud of you? It doesn't matter one whit. What does matter is that you are beginning to take some steps to broaden your horizons. For your own sake, not ours, keep it up!
cfitz
I couldn't put it better myself cfitz, but I'll try
You see MonteLDS, life isn't about pleasing your parents, your peers or your associates, It's about living. Whether any of us here, even those of us you may respect, are proud of you or not, should not really change how you handle your own life. Now how in situations where you find a lot of people disagreeing with you, you may want to take a moment to re-evaluate your own course of action, and see if things are really going the way you want them to. The fact is, none of us here are going to be living with your decisions, only you are, and the people they directly affect. We can offer you our opinions, some of which may be useful, and which might not be... but that is all they are: Opinions.
For instance, when I hit 18 years old, my mother had a very hard time letting go of being in charge of me. We ended up having some disagreements over how certain things in my life should be done. She told me straight out what I was going to do, whether I liked it or not. Then I looked her straight in the eye and said "I appreciate your opinion, and will take it into consideration when I make my own decision". In all honesty, I can't remember if I did what she said or not, but the fact is, since then, she has given me her opinions instead of telling me what to do, and sometimes I do what she suggests, and sometimes I don't, and sometimes she is right, and sometimes I am. But *I* live with the consequences. My mother and I have a much better reliationship now really. We have mutual respect, and we treat each other as adults, and friends.
So next time you feel the need to proove something about yourself to someone, remember who's really gonna be living with your choices. I'm sure none of us mind giving you our opinions, but always remember that that is all they are, and you have to make your own conclusions.
As it happens, I know what it's like to want to proove yourself to those around you. If you had met me 3 years ago, you would not recognize me for who I am today.
Good luck!
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The Progression of Computer Media