Here's my take on it, from my experience. After being thrown out of college I had everything planned out for myself. I was gonna pack up grab my bike and be a drifter. Basically just hang with my boys and party non stop. Where our heads hit the ground is where we would sleep. We were gonna go to NYC and chill in the Squats (also known as punk houses. Basically they are abandoned apartments that a group of punks live in.) for a while, and just bounce all over the country. Like I said me, my boys, our bikes, and total freedom. It is above and beyond the American dream IMO. Well I was about a week or two out of finalizing my plans when I met my wife. The momment we started hanging out I knew she was ALL I wanted. Freedom be damned I wanted her and only her. Truthfully she probably saved my life. I was never big on drugs, I hate needles and pills scare the mess out of me. Now alcohol I was all about. I was hanging out with some VERY unsavory people at that period of time too. If I had gone I probably would have come home in a box. Anyway, the bike was sold and 8yrs later I don't think I could be more happy with my life. I have an almost four year old son and adore every minute I get to spend with him. Truth be told my freedom isn't gone either. I get to fish, hunt, golf do whatever I want. Honestly with the exception of the first I really don't care about doing the others that much because I want to hang out with them. I'm still the same person I was and have been. My priorities have just changed now. If I were to go get a new Harly tomorrow and go join the MC some of my buddies ride with, my wife would support me 100% in that endeavor. Sure we fight sometimes, everyone does be you young, old, or somewhere in between. It's just a fact of life. Do I feel stressed about money? Yup I sure do, but only because my hours have been cut in half. At the same time though I can go hit the road for 6 months and make a year's wages doing shutdowns. So no I don't feel trapped or anything of that nature.
Life is what you make of it. Be your own person, and who cares what anybody thinks about you. If you wanna besingle forever. Go for it. If you wanna settle down, and have a wife and kids. Go for it. If you wanna walk around with half your face painted blue. Then jump right up on it. It's all a matter of what makes YOU happy. Everyone else can shove off. No one knows better than yourself what will make you happy in life. That's my two cents on the whole thing.