Well it looks like I'm in the minority here. When I was 17, I couldn't wait to be married and have kids. Seriously. The only thing that kept me from getting pregnant was fear of what my dad would do to me (and that wonderful little pill...but you get the point.)
I'm now 25 (yes...still a 'youngin' compared to some of you) and I've been married for almost 4 years. THANK GOD I didn't get pregnant by the (male donkey) I was dating when I was 17. We don't have any kids-yet. He brought to the relationship a daughter and while I only feel like a part time parent because of the custody arrangement, I love her all the same, but that's a story for a different daytime television show. We don't have kids because we're not in a financial position to support them.
My husband doesn't restrict anything I do. In fact, he makes most of the things I do better because I'm doing them with him and sharing that experience with him. The things I don't do because I'm married (i.e. sleep around, randomly move across country in the middle of the night, etc.) I have no desire to do because I love and respect him and value him.
I know it doesn't seem like it now, but please please please believe me when I tell you that when you look back on your 17-year old self in 5 SHORT years, you won't recognize you. Heck...I don't recognize me from 2 years ago, much less 5 or 10! And when you find that person (if you do...) that you WANT to spend the rest of your life with, you'll wonder why you ever thought you didn't want to get married. Never say never...
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