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Finish school. As for "defying your father...." - come on, grow up - all you will accomplish is jeopardizing yourself. Finish your education. Continue working. Take some time off if needed and if you need professional help as in a professional to talk things over, seek out a counselor at school or even a pastor. Stop and think with your head and not your emotions.
He graduates from college on May 12 of this year and is taking a couple of weeks off from his low-paying grocery store job to take a road trip and check out some grad schools.
His father is opposed to both the trip and to his moving away to go to grad school and is using scare tactics to try and keep him home. It's hardly a huge act of defiance to want to take a couple of weeks of vacation and see about furthering your education.
It's a lot weird to be 22, terrified of your father and unable to do something as simple as go on a vacation by yourself.
From his posts, it sounds like his father has used fear to control him all his life. His dad is telling him that if he goes on this road trip and has an accident, that he'll use up all the insurance benefits and his father will be able to afford the medications he needs. His father is also predicting that his truck will break down and that will be the end of the world.
It's not weird for a 22-year-old who has been subjected to fear-mongering his whole life to be afraid to take off on his own.
But at some point, OP should get a grip, grow up and realize that his father may not be all that bright/sane/experienced in life. He needs to cut the cord.
But at some point, OP should get a grip, grow up and realize that his father may not be all that bright/sane/experienced in life. He needs to cut the cord.
Absolutely. It looks like he is on the verge of doing that.
Go and have a good time. You have been talking about this for a long time, and you will regret it if you don't go. You will always wonder what could have been. You seem to have an idealized version of the South, and it is time to see if you really like it as much as you believe you will. Good luck. Btw, I love the South and wouldn't live anywhere else, but it has good things and bad things about it just like everywhere else. You will find your niche.
Go and have a good time. You have been talking about this for a long time, and you will regret it if you don't go. You will always wonder what could have been. You seem to have an idealized version of the South, and it is time to see if you really like it as much as you believe you will. Good luck. Btw, I love the South and wouldn't live anywhere else, but it has good things and bad things about it just like everywhere else. You will find your niche.
I'm trying not to be unrealistic about the region, some people jive with some places better than others. I'm not coming there with pretention, I can promise you that.
Just one more week to go, and it's going to be hard I can already tell.
Which part is going to be hard? The actual leave-taking? Or the trip itself?
What have you told your parents so far?
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His father is also predicting that his truck will break down and that will be the end of the world. 
