I spoke with my parents about allowing me to go the 1975 Key Club convention in New Orleans. Knowing what I know now, I asked them if they were out of their minds.
At 17 years old, I had already hitchhiked from Cape Cod to the Outer Banks, had a full-time job in the construction industry (I was building hotels in Aruba), had my own apartment, and had started my freshman year of college. On my 18th birthday, I declared myself independant of my parents and cut all financial ties (there wasn't much to cut). I'm not saying all 17/18 year olds should follow my lead, but they ought to be able to fend for themselves if put in that kind of situation.