I don't want to tread on toes, or hijack Matty's thread - but guys....there's a bit too much romancing going on here for my taste.
I'm sorry - but it doesn't take any special kind of bravery to assume responsibility for our lives....people - kids - do it every day.
It's a natural and essential part of growth, of life, and of adulthood - a part of things that a lot of us here missed out on by virtue of the choices that we made.
What *does* take great bravery is dealing with the fear of taking on that responsibility....especially when we've avoided it for 20 years or so....and I commend all of us for that - but lets not make it noble LOL. We should have done it years ago.
Like Suki said, if there is something extremely lonely and suffering in freedom, this fear is a part of that, but it soon dissipates when we learn just how much we can do, and grow, and help... without the need to run away.....
It's liberating...it really is freeing
I wish you well Matty
D