i-n-d-e-p-e-n-d-e-n-t...

Do you know what that means?  It's not just lyrics for several songs, but a state of mind.  I was thinking about a former coworker and decided to write this post.  She was in school (she worked with me as a paid intern), had her own apartment, and a decent car.  She was also pushing 40, had her tuition paid by her brother, her rent and bills paid by her sister, and had a serious passion for shoes her paychecks helped to support.  But she would always talk about how independent she felt and how proud she was that she lived on her own with nobody taking care of her.  She completely glossed over the fact she didn't pay her own bills or even know how much tutition was, let alone write the check.  Part of me is hating - hey, who wouldn't want a benefactor to take care of everything so all I have to worry about is the occasional shopping spree - but a bigger part of me is screaming WTH?  How do you get to be 40 years old and still be "remotely dependent"?  My definition of a "remote dependent" is anyone who is over 25, lives in a residence apart from whoever is paying the bills, but still comes to mommy/daddy/rich uncle Lou and gets money for everything from rent and car payments to $20 for beer and pizza.  A remote dependent may have a job, but the majority of their income must be spent on items other than the essentials (food, shelter, transportation).  In case you're wondering, cell phones, cable, internet, eating out, etc. do not count as essentials.  And worst of all, whoever is taking care of the remote dependent can't write them off on their taxes.  Unfortunately, people fall on hard times and need assistance every now and then.  But I'm not talking about the rare hardship loan.  You know if you can be classified as "independent" or "remote dependent".  And if you don't, read this post again and tell me...are you i-n-d-e-p-e-n-d-e-n-t?