In a society mixed with different generations, parents may not always understand where their children are coming from. At a young age being told what to do can be frustrating and can overpower the mind, leading to challenge parental authority. When reaching a point that results in running away there’s always a reason, solution, and lesson. I can recall a time where my frustration gout out of hand and I ran away from my problems.
Being a young adult the point of independence is highly essential. My mother didn’t seem to understand this and it angered me. I was confused on my lack of freedom because I never got into any major trouble. I spent my time at the local supermarket packing bags to earn money. With my wages, I’d try to entertain myself by attending the movies and keep money to spend at lunch time for school. The reason I ran away is simple but at the time was important to my values. I had wanted to watch a show on television but my younger brother wanted to watch his as well. We argued until he awoke my sleeping mother who replied in a fit of rage directed at me. I felt wrongly accused for a situation so minuet. It ended in a physical fight which resulted in my voluntary relocation from home.
Running away gave me the sense of freedom I longed for. I felt as if I could do whatever I wanted in whichever way I chose to do it. The feeling was phenomenal and it was the first time I’ve fully experienced independence. I traveled with a bag of clothes the size of a desk to my cousin’s house about 45 minutes away. I had a plan scheduled in my head on where to go and how I was going to do it. I became excited in making my own decisions and mentally desired to show my mother I could do so. I had planned to only keep my clothes at my cousins’ while I slept elsewhere so that I wouldn’t have so much to travel around with. My scheme was cut short because before I could make my next move my mother had contacted my aunt who brought me home. I prepared myself for what I knew would ensue – a long talk with my mother.
Although I refused to initially do so, I learned that confronting my issues has helped me gain understanding. My mother was doing many things I disapproved of but was unclear on how to express them to her. My frustrations had built up until they exploded because of lack of communication. At that time, I began learning how to deal with my emotions. After the situation, my mother and I have built a relationship from communication that continues to grow. After the incident, she was also more open to giving me more freedom. I came to realize that it’s okay to “let off steam” in productive ways and running from your problems won’t help because you’ll have to encounter them soon enough.
Parents and children may not always understand each other but should learn to compromise. Parental authority shouldn’t dictate the child but ground them in making moral decisions through respect. In my situation, I felt that my mother was ignoring my desires when I never expressed them fully. I’m glad I found a solution for my reasoning in running away because the lesson was important. An escape isn’t always a good thing because you’ll have to return back to whatever you were trying to escape from. Confrontation is productive through receptive communication. Without it, understanding would fail and respect would diminish in any relationship.
