Things were better when I had no real say over my life

People who say things were better in high school or when they were kids are full of shit.

... Or irresponsibility.

Yeah, being an adult is hard. There's shit you've gotta do, and numbers to keep track of. But you have freedom. Real freedom. Not the kind of freedom that requires you to do several things to afford yourself liberty time; the kind of freedom that lets you do almost anything or go wherever you please.

I can stay up late on a weekday.
I can have ice cream for breakfast.
I can play video games all night.
I can buy candy at 2am if I want to.
I can get as many tattoos or piercings as I want.

But these are tiny freedoms in the grand scheme.

I can move to another state.
I can move to another country.
I can buy a boat and live on it.
I can start my own business.
I can get married and live with someone.
I can have children.

Don't be so narrow minded as to focus on the responsibilities of freedom, and ignore the freedoms of freedom.

That way lies the nanny state, and limited freedom.

Acquire a taste for your big freedoms.