What is your ONE regret in life (so far)?

[frackincygy]

Buddy of mine worked for a general contractor as a summer job before/into the first few years of college, I worked as a flat roofer because it paid better. I wish I'd have taken the paycut for the increase in 'life skills' - going to encourage my boys to consider working under a GC in their later high school year summers.

 

[JohnnyFive]

I think for me it’s not trying to spend more time with people that were here but arent now. It’s not that I couldnt, because I had the time. I just didnt. When youre young, sometimes you dont appreciate time in that way

 

[ClonesFTW]

Not buying bitcoin in 2012 when the nerdy computer kid jokingly mentioned it at a party.

 

[nfrine]

Buddy of mine worked for a general contractor as a summer job before/into the first few years of college, I worked as a flat roofer because it paid better. I wish I'd have taken the paycut for the increase in 'life skills' - going to encourage my boys to consider working under a GC in their later high school year summers.

Best thing I and my son did was working in general construction during high school and college summers. He is an MD now and I was an engineer with a very good career. Both of us designed and help build our own homes. Being able to work with your head and your hands is very rewarding.

 

[JP4CY]

I think for me it’s not trying to spend more time with people that were here but arent now. It’s not that I couldnt, because I had the time. I just didnt. When youre young, sometimes you dont appreciate time in that way

This one is me as well.

Spending time and learning about their past. Their life.
I haven't had grandparents in a long, lone time but I had an outstanding Grandma that outlived the rest. She was prototypical, come over for cookies, lets play a game grandma.
I don't recall her talking about her childhood much.

I think the generation that lived thru WW2, depression, etc just would rather not talk about it but it still would have been fascinating to learn from her.

 

[coolerifyoudid]

My aunt passed away shortly after I started my job and I felt that I couldn't take time off to go to her funeral. I still kick myself 25 years later.

Otherwise, I don't have any real regrets on big decisions because they would impact the current life I have. I'm happy with where I'm at.

Most of my regrets involve self-improvement: learn another language early in life, learn guitar, stay away from soda, stay in a little better shape in my 30s, write a book. A lot of these are things I still intend to do once my daughter heads to college and the nest gets empty.

The hard thing about retroactively changing life decisions is that they take time and when you take time from somewhere else, there's a butterfly effect of sorts. Example - staying in better shape in my 30s would have meant less time around my wife and daughter, and time was at a premium early on.

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

I regret my grandfather over ruling my grandmother when she was going to invest $5000 in Apple back in the day.

 

[ianoconnor]

I kind of wish I would have tried study abroad while at ISU. Or at least looked into it.

 

[MeanDean]

CF, you disappoint me. The correct answer: Not being born at a different time.

 

[bos]

I kind of wish I would have tried study abroad while at ISU. Or at least looked into it.

This. I never really understood that it was a possibility for me.

 

[1UNI2ISU]

Not going to law school directly after my undergrad. Was accepted and all ready to go and decided to take a year to work and then life got in the way and it never happened.

Life turned out well but that's the big 'what if' that lingers.

 

[MeanDean]

Not buying bitcoin in 2012 when the nerdy computer kid jokingly mentioned it at a party.

I found out about 5 years ago my "nerdy" relative bought less than $100 worth at launch. Yeah, he cleaned up. He coulda let his cool Uncle Dean in on it for twenty bucks or so...

 

[1100011CS]

chewing tobacco. **** cancer.

 

[pourcyne]

Seriously. Regret is a waste of time.

 

[MeanDean]

Not spending the $1400 the guy was asking for this at a record show about 1988. I was in process of restoring a car and very cash short. I called later in the week after deciding to just get a signature loan from our credit union (at 12%). It had been sold.

https://www.discogs.com/release/4134455-Tony-Sheridan-The-Beat-Brothers-My-Bonnie-The-Saints-When-The-Saints-Go-Marching-In

 

[isufbcurt]

This is supposed to be a family friendly site so No Comment

 

[CoachHines3]

not pursuing sports in college

i add few offers to go play DII basketball and football but chose to go to iowa state and prepare to walk on for football. was playing pick up basketball the summer before college and tore my quad and never played organized sports again

a part of me regrets just not going to a smaller school to play football.

still had a hell of a time up at iowa state, though.

 

[CycloneDaddy]

Did your best friend marry her? If not, did he introduce you to his next dream girl?

Nah he never even dated her. He ended up finding a nice lady and is now married with 2 kids and a dog. He should probably thank me.

 

[Cyched]

Zigging when I should’ve zagged

 

[Beernuts]

It's a really tough question, because I don't have a lot of regrets about where I've ended up, and if I had made a different decision at this point or that, I'm not convinced that I would have been mature enough to take advantage of it anyway.

If I had to pick one, it would be a phone call that I never returned from a really good friend from high school. We had pretty much torn it up when we hung out, so he was basically my best drinking buddy. I hadn't heard from him in 20 years and I had just gotten married (2008) and had an 8 year old son. He was a very good dude, but from his personality, I would have guessed that he was still the same guy then as he was in high school.

We were on the way out the door and he called and left a message, and then another one and then another one in the span of a couple minutes. There was nothing particularly urgent about the messages, but leaving three in such a short span kind of weirded me out. My life had just calmed down significantly, and I guess it just felt like a bad time to introduce a chaotic element into it, so I didn't call back and then kinda forgot about it.

About two years later, it was weighing on me, so I decided to try to find him and give him a call. Talked to a friend who had been in touch with his brother, so I got ahold of him. Turns out that he had just passed away from a heart attack while helping his brother move. I think he was maybe 41? Damn, I wish I had made that call.

Similar situation. Great friend growing up that lived 1.5 miles away on the farm. Both of us were in the same Church, band, sports..basically a brother. He had an incredibly successful career in the military - base commander in the Gulf Wars. Retired as a General - only around 50 years old. He and his wife have three kids, adopt three more from Ukraine.

He was back home one night, we went out and had a great evening talking about our families, life, etc.

A few months later I receive a call from him, but we were on the go so I never answered. Next call I get is about two months later that he passed away. He was diagnosed with a fast moving cancer - possibly from the burn pits while over seas - but passed away from a sudden heart attack.

I think he was calling me to let me know of his medical situation. Still hurts today. I see his Mom quite often, and now I see my friend in her.. we both loved him very much.