Was just emailing an old friend who I use to more or less live with a few years ago and was thinking how much things change over the space of a couple of years...

1999. I was 23, had just left the Army and could fit everything I owned in my car. I moved from the top end of the country to around halfwayish, then to the south all inside 8 months and didn't really need to hold a steady job as I only had myself to worry about. I could go out as often as I wanted, could go home with whoever I wanted and basically was living the life I wanted to.

Then I met my current girlfriend, and just over 3 years later, I am building a house, can't move unless I get my truck licence, go out rarely and go home with no one new. Have had the same steady job for over 18 months and have bills and mortgage to cover each month...I only use to have a mobile phone bill each month and was late paying that.

Thing is...I look back and see the old days as the best time of my life and wish I could have stayed that way forever...everything seems so ****en drowned in bull**** and process now...can't pay this before that, can't go here, got to go there first...in the old days, I only had myself to be concerned about and look out for.

I am one of the older ones here and my one piece of advice to all of you younguns is not to try and take too much oin too quick. there is a **** load of time for houses, husbands and wives, kids and checking out decent schools etc...but there is a limited amount of time you can be young enough to get away with anything...and old enough to do whatever you want.

I am old and nostalgic

Nothing wrong with that at all

Personally I like having structure to my life. I've never had any cerfew ever and really no rules to live my life by that were set down by anyone. I place them on myself because I like knowing what I am doing and what is going to happen. I pretty much have the same routine everyday. Sure it gets boring sometimes but I wouldn't really want it any other way. I wake up, go to school, come home, talk to my girlfriend and go to bed then repeat. IN the summer it will be wake up, go to work, hang out with girlfriend, go to bed, repeat.

**** you I want to be married by 20 and have 4 kids by the time I'm 25.

4 kids? Have fun putting them through college. I plan on 2 max. One boy and one girl. Maybe 2 boys...no way I would want to worry about 2 females and all the trouble they could get into.

I knew Curly would understand...you young pups don't know how good you got it!

I'm with you and Curls too. I was happiest when things were simpler even though I was lucky to have to big shiny nickles 2 rub together.

I was poor and happy!

Now I am debt ridden and questionable

I'm Chris

I'm the Walrus Goo Goo Ka Joob.