It's amazing what being a total deer in headlights can do for your perception of life. I, like many I know, have parents, and for the longest time, I was damn certain that they did not know a thing they were talking about. This complex I'm talking about is called being a Punk-Ass High School Kid. After four long years of bloodthirsty battles for domination in the parent-child relationship, it finally became time to put those amateur matches to an end. I now had to go out into the real world, a place called college, a place I was convinced was as easy as anything taught in home ec. class and way greater than my parents' house. I would never again have to sneak in the house at night or lie about where I had been or what I had been doing. I was going to be a free bird, a loose lion and every other cool analogy imaginable.

Now, I would never call myself ungrateful, but I wouldn't say I wasn't spoiled either. Being a poor soul fallen ill with Punk-Ass High School Kid complex (PAHSK for short), I was ignorant to the fact that I had life pretty easy. Well, then I got to college and realized that I myself was in fact "showin' out." It was the first time I realized my parents didn't exist to scheme and plot ways to interfere with my private life, but rather they were there to give advice, to provide an environment to succeed, to love. It took 18 years and moving away to figure out that my parents were on my team.

Why had it taken me so long to completely understand the privilege of having parents? It's unfortunate that I was never really able to fully appreciate every single thing my parents did for me. So much of their lives went into making sure I didn't have poop in my diapers, that I ate my peas and carrots, that I brushed my teeth, and that I became a respectful and responsible person. Life can be a cruel fight, and having your parents in your corner can sometimes make the difference.

I have a different relationship with my parents these days. There's a mutual respect — something that I don't think I've earned until now. The times my parents wouldn't let me go out seemed like huge events. I was always sure I was missing that crazy party with the fine ladies dancing on a pole and bottles of Cristal being downed. But I wasn't, and it didn't really matter in the end. Every time I got busted, I deserved it. Now I wish I had someone to yell at me to do my homework; then I'd probably do it. Who knows? But that's not what's important here. What is important is that I'm lucky. I was oblivious my entire life to what I had. Life will never be that easy again. My parents are lifelong friends that ride or die; I'll never have anyone else like them. I should have been bragging about my parents instead of whining about them. Not everyone is as lucky as I am, and I can't tell how much I appreciate my parents now.

Anyway, it's clear I love my parents. But the craziest thing about this adult relationship I suddenly have is the conversations with my parents. Every time I call my parents, I feel like I'm talking to an old friend. I love swapping stories with them and hearing what life was like for them back in the day. Every now and then they give you a little more information than you would have wanted, but I still take that chance. It's weird thinking your parents had screwed up relationships and other girlfriends or boyfriends or even other spouses. You realize that they're just people trying to get through life, too. When I think about how hard a final was or how much I was frustrated with a girlfriend, it doesn't compare to what my parents have had to deal with in their own lives, not to mention raising my brother and me. Regardless of the fact that I don't have nearly the number of worries my parents do, I still feel like I can call myself an adult. And because of that, I can finally give my parents the credit and respect they deserve, and that's a lot better than being able to get hammered on a Monday afternoon. (I never got away with that.)

Ben Patterson ([email protected]) is a sophomore majoring in political science.