This question was interested to imagine. If my parents had remained non-religious (or my mom had done the single mom thing) then I think my life would have looked a lot like Rory from Gilmore Girls. I think I would have had a very similar education but kept up piano instead of dropping it for seminary (sad!). I would have probably had the confidence to ask out guys I liked and not worry about arbitrary age restrictions. (I can see me actually getting the same obsessive crush on a Mormon guy and I wonder how that could have affected things. Would I still have gone to BYU because of him? Probably not.)
Would probably have gone to ASU or the U where I could get money and have definitely become sexually active 5 years earlier. Probably would have dated the same kind of guys but atheists (I see no universe where I become spiritual) and wouldn't have worried about marriage until 25 or so.
Don't have tattoos or extra piercings now so I doubt I'd get them. Can see taking the same next step I plan to but I don't think I'd break out in hives worrying about "wasting my twenties!" Don't think I'd ever have wanted kids so I probably would have come to terms with that sooner.
Honestly, I feel kind of robbed now. I guess I have to come to terms with it but it's hard to see how the insidiousness of the patriarchy and the dozen years of pressure to settle down haven't increased the stress in my life (and I never was going to be a placid person). Sigh.
Alternate secular life
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