I'm glad I have the parents that I do. They found the right balance, I believe, between letting me do what I want and making sure I don't put myself in danger. They asserted their authority on the important things like letting them know where I was at all times, being respectful and tolerant of all people, not doing things that might burn the house down, etc. But other than that they pretty much let me make my own decisions, especially as I got into my teens and they acknowledged that with maturity comes responsibility. I first found out they smoked weed when I was 16 and a year later they let me try it, so that was never a problem.

Because of all this, I never really had a rebellious phase like a lot of teenagers do. I had nothing to rebel against. They fed me and housed me for free, and always respected my privacy. They guided me while letting me live my own independent life. I guess I got lucky.