Who am I kidding?

It’s funny how we think our kids are still children at 17, when we regarded ourselves as being fully fledged adults at that age.

Well, I shouldn’t speak for everyone on that score … It’s funny how I regard …

My youngest daughter and I were born in March and started school at age 4, so we both finished high school at age 17.

I did my HSC, went to my year 12 formal (pictured main), got a job at the head office of a Newcastle-based building society and started saving to go Mitchell College in Bathurst to study journalism. Then a cadetship came up at the Newcastle Herald and I suddenly found myself reporting on everything from the shipping news to illegal cock fighting in the Hunter Valley to a young bloke being king-hit outside a pub and dying after hitting his head on the curb.

Reporting on the latter involved being tasked by the chief of staff with trying to interview his parents. It’s called “door knocking” because that’s literally what you do to try and get a quote.

I wasn’t cut out for it.

Among my other vivid memories of that time was working with a junior reporter nicknamed “Kirky”. I remember being on a job together and walking past Lynch’s Prawns, a seafood hut on the edge of Newcastle Harbour.

He ducked into the hut and emerged with a bag of prawns. He dipped his hand into the bag, pulled one out and ate it head, shell, tail and all, then offered me one.

I stared at him in wide-eyed shock and shook my head. He said: “I’ll even peel it for you!”

I politely said no thank you and he laughed.

Kirky retired last week after almost 40 years at the Newcastle Herald and I officially feel old.

I was telling my hairdresser Mark about Kirky on Saturday. I then noted Mark been cutting my hair for almost 30 years.

Mark did not want to be reminded about that because it made him feel old.

Anyways, that’s a long-winded way of telling it was a hard weekend because the youngest has moved all her stuff out and is, at the tender age of 17, officially living independently on campus at university.

This week is Orientation Week and I have to try and let go. But I miss her and I am worried about her and it is hard.

I have consoled myself by moving into her bedroom, the master bedroom! Yep, I finally have a proper wardrobe and space to get out of my bed on either side and an ensuite.

The handyman is coming tomorrow to paint the room and put a proper door on the ensuite instead of the current rattling concertina one.

Exciting times. Well, that’s what I keep telling myself.

I hope your weekend was a good one. Oh and congratulations to Kirky! I reckon retiring is an awesome thing – can’t wait to do it.

Song of the day: Stevie Nicks “Edge of 17”