"Parents should never throw their children out of the house"

I guess my dad can't be expected to know that line, since he never came to see Steel Magnolias while it was running. Still, I would think it would be a pretty standard thing in a parent's mind, especially with a first-born only daughter. However, I'm not so lucky. My father has decided that if I do not have a job by the end of September, which is two weeks away now, I no longer have a place to live at his house. And, as if that isn't bad enough, he was also kind enough to point out today that no one else in the family is going to want me either. And I don't even have an Aunt Clairee who adores me to run away to. Now, I know nobody reads this, and I'm okay with that, but should I happen to have a long-lost rich uncle out there, who has been searching for me all his life, and was probably about to give up, now would be a really good time for him to speak up. I read too many fairy tales growing up, could you tell? I never wanted to be a princess, though. Pirate, maybe, or witch, but not princess. And the thing is (sorry for the tangents, I've been doing a lot of thinking the past few hours) I don't want an inheritance. Don't get me wrong, a lot of money would be nice, but I think I would honestly rather get a job, make my own money, live in a tiny little apartment somewhere that isn't Bend, and get by on my own. And if you know me, you know that this is a huge deal. Not three months ago, I would much rather have gone with the freak inheritance miracle fairy tale ending, no question. Now, though, I think I need to prove to myself (and the rest of the world) that I can accomplish something worth doing, and that I am worth something. Unfortunately, this whole plan hinges first on me getting a job, and then on me being able to survive out in the world by myself. Which is a scary thought, really. I mean, how does one do one's taxes when one has no idea what that process even looks like? Or go about finding an apartment? What's even a reasonable rent for one when you do find one? And how in the hell does an anti-social, people phobic, young looking, naive 19 year old figure all this out on her own to begin with? Not to mention, at some point I would like to go back to school, but not here, which means I'd have to find another apartment in a completely different city, along with another job, also in a completely different city, and somehow manage to find a way to get myself down there. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't all of this stuff I'm supposed to have learned how to do by this point in my life? I mean, I think this is one of those life experiences that you really can't go into totally blind, and yet I seem to be doing just that. Shouldn't there be a kindly grandmother or somebody to step in and help? And just where the hell is my Fairy Godmother when I need her? I really need to lay off the fairy tales... Oh, well. What happens, happens I suppose. Maybe I'm destined for wonderful things, and maybe I'm destined to spend the rest of my very short life in a cardboard box by the river. At least I have some good friends, and a lot of good memories to hold on to. And if all else fails, I'll print out a picture of Tim Curry to hang in my box, because Tim Curry cures all ills. Truly...