Best thing in my life is work.

Currently 17 as of late November. Working 30 - 40 hour shifts at a local restaurant. Made friends with everyone there (mostly drop/burnouts), who i like more than anyone in my life at the moment.

Started hanging out with them and getting drunk and generally having a good time. Most of them are 22+.

Typical teenage problems: Uninterested in school and conforming with the typical things after I graduate ( College/Uni, Settling down, ect).

Anyways, I have the most fun I've ever had when i'm hanging out with people from my work and my question is, is it wrong - as in is this normal how I'm feeling? I think i'll grow out of it it just feels good and wrong at the same time (so deep).

Comments? When you were this age did you have similar experiences?

Thanks.

 

I wouldn't say it's not normal, you are probably more mature than other teenagers your age, hence why you feel comfortable around people 5 years older than you as you share more interests and understand each other better. It could be a little bit late now but you could try changing schools? You'll find that there is a difference in how people act and all that in different schools, I'd recommend going to college/uni as it will be a dramatic change from school and you'll be more independent and have more freedom.

 

You seem to be doing well. Money is not easy to come by, it will always take work. A good work ethic will get you far in life, but enjoying life a long the way is always a great attribute as well. Don't get in the mindset to work less, play more.

Work Hard, Play Hard. Life is to short to not enjoy it or not make the most out of it.

 

As long as you're happy with where you are and what you're doing you're fine.

 

I can kind of relate to this. I have finished school now but when I started working I preferred working over school. In critically examining school, a lot of it is wasted time. At work I had friends also and was getting paid for my time. Ultimately I lost motivation for the end of the year but had done well enough at the start of the year to still earn high marks overall.

It will pass eventually. You need to critically examine what you want to do in life and what your goals are. Do you want to be 50 years old and still working in a restaurant, living pay check to pay check with no savings for retirement? By all means continue what you are doing currently for the time being but there needs to be a game plan and you should start saving for whatever your objective is.

 

I think a huge thing that's going for you is that you can acknowledge what you're doing is not necessarily the norm. You can hang out with whoever you so please but always stay on track of reaching your goals IE: finishing school, getting a job, etc.

As long as you have a good head on your shoulders you can do anything you'd like in life.

 

It's always good to expand your social horizons but don't let them get you into bad habits. When you first start experiencing hectic parties and that, you'll probably want to place preference for it over other mundane things. You could take a gap year or something before you start college as having little starting motivation will make it very hard.

 

When i was your age i was in the same situation. I was 17 and my one friend from work at the time was 24, all his friends became my friends after hanging out for so long, which were also around his age. Basically we did the same things, went out and drank, smoked, they even got me in to the strip club when i was only 17. For me it was one of the funnest few years of my life (so far) but i was also in school at the time as well/just starting college so it was much like i guess if i was to live on campus? As you get older you'll realize you can only live like that for so long, and if you don't decide to grow up, and settle down at some point, eventually it will be too late.

 

That does seem to me as a problem. I will admit it's weird when everyone around you knows what they want to do in their life and you're just kind of standing there like what the fuck not knowing what's going on next week..

I think I might be going to a 2 yr college locally so i won't waste money on classes and I can stay at home or find an apartment with some friends.

I've considered a gap year to relax and save money but I feel that puts me 1 yr behind of everyone else and I just wasted a yr of my life at a shitty job.

 

Priorities and preferences, don't settle for what you've got keep trying to get better and further at work, like people have previously mentioned I'm sure you don't wanna be 50 and still doing what you're doing.

Set some goals, make sure you maintain your self discipline and motivation, and don't get addicted to just doing what you like, have a good Christmas and new year bud

 

Hardly anyone I know truly knows what they want to be. I personally don't even know what I want to do. I'm just following a passion and seeing where it will take me. Don't be freaked out about it.

I get where you are coming from. You could look at it from this angle however: what if you spend a year studying and you decide it isn't for you? You've wasted a year and the money spent on study. There is no shame in taking stock of the situation, just make sure that the year does not turn into two.

 

I would recommend splitting your time in half, half of the time with those new buddies of yours and the other half on work. Wouldn't be a bad idea.

 

Well if you have fun doing what you're doing, then its not wrong, its good. Better to have a job that pays low but you enjoy, than a job that pays high but you dont enjoy

 

Memories over money and college I personally think... But then you also have to think what about when they move on and get a family and married..

 

It's normal to be how you are right now. Seriously, there are some people out there in the world who are earning money 10 times more than you, but are really unhappy, and have so less friends and so less peace of mind. As long as you're happy and laughing, I think there's nothing harmful.

 

Problem with working soon: You get acess to easy money fast, since you (im assuming) still live with your parents and stuff. So you get a lot of money and start thinking, I dont need school bc I can have this money coming in and live confortably with it.
However this is a short term solution, because sooner or later you'll have to move out and pay your own bills, rent, food and other shit, which you might not accomplish with your current earnings.

So, answering your question, its natural of you to feel that way because you feel good with it right now, however its not healthy in long term, since you'll eventually need more money than the amount its comming in.

My mother was put in the same situation that you are in, and she didn't go to uni cause she started working and getting paied and she thought it was enough. Now she regrets it and tells me to never stop till I get my masters, which is what I am doing.

IF you end up making the decision of continuing with this lifestyle and IF you eventually regret it, its something you've learned and something you can teach to your kids someday, so you still win something.