I was already a nice guy at 17 just a bit more naive than I am today. Would I like to be there again? Perhaps... some of my best and defining memories happened between school and going to university but things didn't get really interesting till I was at university and then after it.

What I liked about my 17 year old self was his optimistic and romantic nature and the ability to adapt to anything with a willingness to learn and try new things. I envy that in some respects because being cynical in old age means you miss out on some of the joy of being naive.

Not that it was all sunshine and roses and as I recall I did quite a few foolish things that I better not dwell on.

Bottom line is one is the sum of one's experiences and so without being young you could never be old.