I'm not in the mood for pleasantries so let me get straight to the point. I've just been told for the millionth time that I'm sheltered. It's been a label that I apparently inherited for the past two years and seems to float over my head like a dark cloud. I don't know why I'm so upset but I've about had it with the whole "sheltered" thing. Okay, so my loving parents managed to send me to private school, be home when I was finished every day, helped me with my homework, always had a hot meal waiting for me in the evenings, easily bought every single tool I needed to use to succeed, gave me assistance in secondary school, once again paid for everything, made sure I had internet access, a computer and a printer at my disposal, sent me to college, paid for cape, paid for graduation and allowed me to stay in their house until now, never charged me anything, never demanded that I find a christmas or summer job and because of all of that,..... I'm sheltered? Well, I'm not here to argue. If people say that I'm sheltered because I never had to rough it out on my own, too bad. How can you just look at me and say that I have no survival skills. What do you know about me? I've been blessed with blessable blessings that I cannot count and I refuse to apologize for that. You know what I've observed? All the people that have been accusing me of being sheltered differ from me in things that I would never do. They all go clubbing or fetes or party or whatever bacchanal they can find or they surround themselves with questionable company or they only want God when He is convenient or they feel the need to impress people....and the list could go on. I want to know why none of my Christian friends have said I am sheltered, unless you are secretly thinking it. If so, please let me know to my face. I may be overreacting but I don't think this has to do with basic survival skills because in that case, who determines what is basic or not. What is the standard? I think life is to be lived. I live my life for Christ and I can't possibly see how I could be" fooly" with God on my side. Think about it, who knows everything? Who knows what tomorrow will bring? Who knows the exact time and place when things in our lives will occur? Who is the only person who gives us a sure-fire solution to all our problems? Anyway, my point is even if the reality IS that I'm sheltered, I'm glad that I am. I don't want to be caught up in any unnecessary troubles. All I see from the unsheltered half is strife and pain and misery and restlessness and depression. What would be the point if we all had life hard? How would anybody know that there is something better to strive for? Who would comfort these hurting and miserable people? Where would the balance in the world be? I have never looked for a life other than what I have and I don't want one. If the truth is that my parents have shielded me from the elements of life, well they must have done it for a jolly good reason. Once again, I will not apologize for the lack of knowledge or experience in what people deem to be survival skills because they have never, will never and can never walk in my shoes! I don't go and label them for not being able to do something so please don't label me. With that said, I think my chest is cleared! Ha ha, I can now laugh because I feel better. Feedback is demanded on this one- I still want a definition for sheltered because obviously I'm too "fooly" to know. Much luv.