I had the oddest memory come to me while I was raking leaves.
It was my freshman year of college and I was in the newspaper office with the other two editors.
Whatever we were talking about came around to the fact I was having trouble sleeping. One suggested I take sleeping pills. I said I had thought of that too, but my mom nixed the idea.
He said, "You're an adult now, you don't have to do what your mom says."
I didn't saying anything at the time, because I knew she was right. They were something I truly didn't need and it was a very real risk that I could have become dependent on them. A risk I feel better not taking.
My sister and I had a similar conversation about a different obligation. It was my grandmother's 80th birthday party on the same day as something else I wanted to go to.
"You don't always have to do what mom wants," she said. Unfortunately I started to cry (I do that when I get frustrated).
I didn't have to be there, but it meant the world to Mom and Grandma.
I've done plenty of things my mom is not happy about or things she wouldn't have chosen for me. But what they don't understand is being an adult means that just because you can do something doesn't mean you should.
With that said, if I could have found a way to go to that Goo Goo Dolls concert when I was 17 and forced to go to Grandpa's birthday party, I so would have.
Come on now, Johnny trumps all.
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