So, I was reading this article in a e-mail newsletter:  "Happy Interdependence Days" By Camerin Courtney.  It is about depending on people, and how that can be a good thing.  The whole article is good, but I thought this part was the best:

"With these new realizations dawning, when my parents offered to help me get settled in my current home when I first moved in, I happily took them up on their offer. My folks, bless their hearts, drove ten hours with an air conditioner unit they weren't currently using in their trunk and my dad's drill ready to help me put pictures on my plaster walls. Years ago I would have been uncomfortable with this much help. I would've wanted to do it myself in order to prove that, well, that I could do it all myself. That much assistance would've tromped on my independent nature. But the older and wiser me simply thanked them profusely and took them out to dinner at a nice restaurant in my new neighborhood to underscore my gratitude.

As single people, I think it's especially easy to fall into the trap of thinking we can get by just fine in this life on our own, thank you very much. We don't need anyone or their silly help. If asking for assistance is something we simply don't do as competent human beings in modern-day America, then we certainly don't do it in its fast-growing suburb of Singlesville.

But when I've gotten really honest with myself, I've realized the times I've bucked at my parents', coworkers', or friends' offers of help in the past have been more about pride than independence. As a single person, without all the usual "props" of adulthood (i.e. a spouse, some kids, an SUV), it's easy to feel as though people don't see us as grown-ups yet...But when I've stopped and taken a look around, more often than not I've realized the only person I've been proving my adulthood to is me."

I just had a conversation with a friend about this very issue.  Her sister is in college and still in the mindset "If I let people help me, I must not be an adult.'  Her sister basically accused her of being a baby for my friend letting her parents help her out.  I used to be in the same school of thought: 'I cannot depend on people if I want to be independant,' but the more I live life out in the real world, the more I realize that we do need people, married or single, man or woman, young or old. 

For instance, when I wanted to buy a new bed for my apartment, I found that I was not going to get the bed I wanted for a good price.  I went to several stores, and after the salesmen being rude and not letting me bargin, I called me Dad, and he came up and helped me get a good price.  (He did the usual dad thing- i.e.- stern look followed by 'What's the best price you can give her?'.)  I walked away with a pretty good bed for less than the list price.  When I moved out of my old apartment, I graciouly accepted the help of my friends (and their pick-up trucks and SUVs!).  I have moved my self several times, it took at least a day, if not more.  With everybody helping me, It only took two trips and half a day, and that was because we couldn't figure out how to get the futon out the door, but we finally did.

Not to say that I don't enjoy being independant everyonce in a while.  Heck, I live by myself, who else is going to kill the spider or take the trash out?  A guy in the parking lot of my apartments kinda looked twice when he saw me out under the hood of my car checking the clutch fluid.  What are you going to do though?  It had to be done.  I enjoy learning how to do things like that.

So, that's about it, the more and more I live, the more and more I learn that being an adult is letting people help you when you need it.