Are my parents to strict?

Western · May 8, 2012

Cub, FWIW Being "familiar" with JW, I can somewhat understand what you mean by "strict". Being a former LEO, I also know you could have done much worse in the parent department.
Your 17 and at that age it gets hard to keep from "busting at the seems", but I think in the long run your parents will have succeeded in instilling a sense of responsibility and duty in you. Whether you stay with their doctrine and beliefs is beside the point to me, and totally up to your discretion as an adult (at that time). As long as they clothe you, feed you and in all other regards protect your well being, live through it as best you can, until you have a full grasp on your future plans.
I'm not, nor have ever been JW, but I believe that your parents only want whats best for you and are using the "tools" they feel will do you the most good. Cant say if they are too strict or not, dont see how anyone could say for sure as it would be purely subjective.

(I have heard of some JW going into the military with "Conscientious objector" status, but I guess that may depend on how "hardcore" they where.)

Good luck

Redneck in training · May 8, 2012

I didn't read all the responses so I don't know if somebody already suggested it. Forget military. If you have the brain power go to college. In fact there is a college major specifically about fire fighting and fire protection. Set your goals high. It is big handicap if you are smart while you lack education to back it up.
Google "fire fighting college". There are many.

P.S. Your parents will not change. You have to wait it out until your time comes.

Cub124 · May 9, 2012

Western said:
Cub, FWIW Being "familiar" with JW, I can somewhat understand what you mean by "strict". Being a former LEO, I also know you could have done much worse in the parent department.
Your 17 and at that age it gets hard to keep from "busting at the seems", but I think in the long run your parents will have succeeded in instilling a sense of responsibility and duty in you. Whether you stay with their doctrine and beliefs is beside the point to me, and totally up to your discretion as an adult (at that time). As long as they clothe you, feed you and in all other regards protect your well being, live through it as best you can, until you have a full grasp on your future plans.
I'm not, nor have ever been JW, but I believe that your parents only want whats best for you and are using the "tools" they feel will do you the most good. Cant say if they are too strict or not, dont see how anyone could say for sure as it would be purely subjective.

(I have heard of some JW going into the military with "Conscientious objector" status, but I guess that may depend on how "hardcore" they where.)

Good luck

Yeah, I know they only want what's best for me. Just a little frustrating when I can't do much with friends.

Cub124 · May 9, 2012

Redneck in training said:
I didn't read all the responses so I don't know if somebody already suggested it. Forget military. If you have the brain power go to college. In fact there is a college major specifically about fire fighting and fire protection. Set your goals high. It is big handicap if you are smart while you lack education to back it up.
Google "fire fighting college". There are many.

P.S. Your parents will not change. You have to wait it out until your time comes.

Yeah I know. If I don't go military, I've already got a college and courses picked out.

timswi · May 9, 2012

Cub124 said:
Yeah I know. If I don't go military, I've already got a college and courses picked out.

Take some down time and think about the options, of which you have many..You will be a success no matter what you choose..Go for it...

Western · May 9, 2012

Cub124 said:
Yeah I know. If I don't go military, I've already got a college and courses picked out.

There you go, may come as a "surprise", but there are allot of 20 somethings that haven't done that much thinking yet:laughing: or "planning" I should say:thumbsup:

milkman636 · May 9, 2012

My advice is simply to always remain civil. Religion and relations are two of the three most volatile subjects in the world. The other is money.

Alway speak kindly and rationally with your family when you discuss these issues. Never let them push you to anger. Come up with your plan for your future and present the steps that you are choosing to take.

At some point every man has to seperate himself from his parents decision making. It looks to me like you are just getting into that phase of your life. You are at a very natural point for a teenage male. Walk it through as carefully and thoughtfully as you can. Use this last year wisely. You will be living with these choices the rest of youer llife. There is no do-over.

Hopefully your parents will be able to see that they are raising a man and not a boy. Getting them there may take patience and some measure of success on your part.

Cub124 · May 9, 2012

Western said:
There you go, may come as a "surprise", but there are allot of 20 somethings that haven't done that much thinking yet:laughing: or "planning" I should say:thumbsup:

Yeah, I know of a few like that. :laughing:

Cub124 · May 9, 2012

milkman636 said:
My advice is simply to always remain civil. Religion and relations are two of the three most volatile subjects in the world. The other is money.

Alway speak kindly and rationally with your family when you discuss these issues. Never let them push you to anger. Come up with your plan for your future and present the steps that you are choosing to take.

At some point every man has to seperate himself from his parents decision making. It looks to me like you are just getting into that phase of your life. You are at a very natural point for a teenage male. Walk it through as carefully and thoughtfully as you can. Use this last year wisely. You will be living with these choices the rest of youer llife. There is no do-over.

Hopefully your parents will be able to see that they are raising a man and not a boy. Getting them there may take patience and some measure of success on your part.

This is an area where I have a lack of patience. Going to have to try and work on that.

NHmitch · May 9, 2012

I just thought that I would tell you quickly how my experience was joining the Air Force when I was 17. I enlisted the first day of my senior year of high school, without my mother or father knowing. I will never, ever regret making that choice, however it is not always without consequences, but neither is college, or life for that matter. The one thing I will tell you, is that the Air Force gives you a lot of pride, and they really take care of their people. They believe that retention is the key, and in order to have retention they have to keep you happy. They spend far more in a lot of cases on training you than some of the other branches do, and some do, so I am not knocking any other branch, but they have a very serious investment. Where ever we went, we always, had the best. We always had better food, better accommodations, and happier people. The Air Force will change you, but for the better. The Air Force will alos be strict, and sometimes more strick than your parents. If you don't clean you room in the air force, you are going to basically get grounded with chores. If you bounce checks, or party too much, you are going to have to sit down with your First Sergeant, or Chief, and explain why, and possibly get ordered to fix things. You have to answer for where you are, when, and why most of the time outside of a 50 mile radius. Having that said, within 6 months of going to basic training, (BMT), I was landing in Italy, after have been assigned to a base in Mountain Home Idaho, on the other side of the country where I grew up. My first year in I served as a crew member on a British AWACS radar aircraft over Bosnia, Croatia, and Hungary. I worked with, and made long lasting friendships with Italian, Spanish, British, and German troops, who were all my age. My days off were spent walking through Venice, Milan, Florence, Austria, Germany, and the ALPS. I spet the rest of my career traveling the world, and seeing so many different cultures. Some places were bad, but I learned about the world from them, and about people, and life. I was injured, and I am not the same physically and I have limitations and scars, but mentally, I have lived a thousand times over, and I would never, for anything in the world give up my experience in the military. One day I would be here, the next morning I would be on a plane landing in Europe, were I would have breakfast, again, then to the middle east, where I would have breakfast again. I have watched the sun set around the globe, and I have swum in the North Atlantic Ocean , the Pacific Ocean, the Adriatic Sea, the Persian Gulf, and the Mediterranean. I have watched the sun set half way around the world, and watched it rise on the other side. You will never regret what you get out of the Air Force, and your parents will always love us. If your parents do not agree, well just remind them of the bible, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.( John 3:16)" I wish you the best, and your have your world to explore!