Why was I in such a hurry to grow up?

I am sitting here at my computer, on my day off, trying to get about a thousand things done for work, life, finances, etc. and I am remembering how excellent I had it when I was still living at home at the ripe age of 17. I had a car that I could use anytime, money from a job I didn't need and only had because I wanted to work. There were no bills (at least not for me), the car would mysteriously become filled with gas, dinner would be there every night if I wanted it, I saw my friends everyday, and never had more than a few pages to read or write for homework. All this for the low, low price of getting up at 6:30 every morning (something I am glad to say I only have to do on Sundays now) and occasionally being told I couldn't do something (and as I look back, it was rare that those occasions were unreasonable restrictions)...and I hated it.

I couldn't wait to get out of there, to be out on my own and living life by my own terms and here I am. I have a job that pays the bills and then some, a place of my own, a car (that I now fill with gas), and I am thinking that life wasn't so bad. It is not that life isn't better in its own way now than it was then. I can actually say I love my parents and my sister and want to see them all the time now that I have had some distance. I am able to live independently and I am able to make my own decisions. It is wonderful, the only shame is that it took until now to start realizing how good I had it growing up.

I am sure you are not like me, but I take so much for granted in my life. It is a shame it takes so much distance to appreciate what I have and what I had.