Honestly, I never imagined my own family would be the reason I left home. They always seemed to think I was supposed to support every relative who ever hit a tough patch. From when I was quite young, I knew exactly what I wantedI was completely obsessed with computers, and it was crystal clear in my mind that I wanted to become a programmer. So I pushed myself, finished my A-levels, and then moved to Manchester for uni to do Computer Science. I made a real go of it, put in the graft, and soon enough, I landed myself a decent programming job with a good salary. It felt amazing, to be honest.
To tell the truth, my plan was never to settle down and get married or anything like that. I really valued my independence and loved the way I was living. Even so, I always made sure to look after my mum. I sent her money regularly and every year, Id take her on holidayshes done so much for me, it was the least I could do to show my appreciation.
Things really started to change when my younger brother began asking for money all the time, always with an excuse about not being able to find work. At first, I didnt mind helping him out, but after a while I realised he was just relying on me instead of getting his act together. It started to bother me, and eventually, I had to be honest with him. I told him straight: he needed to step up, get a job, and stand on his own two feet instead of constantly leaning on other people.
I wasnt refusing to help to be tight-fistedit just felt important that he took some responsibility for his own life. But after that conversation, Mum rang me up and absolutely tore into me, saying I was selfish and that Id forgotten all about my family. And it didnt stop theresome of my other relatives started giving me the cold shoulder too, all because of this. I felt so awkward and judged that, after a lot of soul-searching, I decided to move abroad.
In the end, I know I made the right decisionmy lifes going really well now, my careers solid and Im earning a comfortable living. But still, Ive drifted a long way from my family. I try to keep in touch with Mum as much as I can, calling her regularly and offering help when she genuinely needs it, but its not quite the same.
