What do you regret?

[chemgear]

^ Indeed. Some pretty serious posts in here. I guess I've been fortunate to not have anything that stands out much <knock on wood>

Originally Posted by Weirdness

Irony is if I didn't date her, I'm sure my entry in this thread would've been "I had the chance to get with this girl I was nuts about but I turned it down and now I'm stuck in the friend zone." Funny that.

Many times (or perhaps most of the time?) the grass isn't greener on the other side.

[Kybosh]

I go back and forth on this one, but I regret not going to Stanford when I had the chance.

[para transit fellow]

Originally Posted by Francis's Hairpiece

I regret being told that I have ADD at age 34 by one of my Corporals, and thinking I was strong enough to beat it on my own. I threw away my dream job due to pride.

What was I thinking? Now I hate the man who looks back in the mirror. Every day. I let me down. I let my family down.

And I will regret it forever.

Dude

at the moment you discounted that advice, you were working with the information at hand. no more. no less.

i never did the military route but you and me and everyone else has made decisions based on what we knew, observed or felt at the moment. we made A decision and 20 seconds or 20 years later, we learned that what we knew at the moment of the decison turned out to be incomplete. That is not our problem because we tried to make a choice based on what we knew in the moment.

Don't beat yourself up too hard. take a deep breath, regroup and go forward.

(sorry prostilate, but your comments hit just a little but too close to home),

[_Q_]

Originally Posted by Red-Mile-DJ

Wow...

I honestly didn't think this thread would go as deep, and as dark (depressing) as it has. I honestly kind of regret starting it. But it is kind of interesting seeing a side of some of you, that I would not normally think would be out there.

I just hope some of you can learn from your regrets (mistakes) and move on. Look forward and upward. I'm not very good at the whole "pep talk" thing, so hopefully you know what I mean.

Since everyone else has kind of dug deep, and put a lot out there, I'll do the same.

I regret not getting MORE education, when I had the chance. Yes, I am taking night classes (online), but I had a chance to live at home (for free) and upgrade my education. Instead I decided to party, DJ and live a crazy life.

I'm 33 now, and I find myself always wondering "what could have been" if I had just spent those 2 years upgrading and getting my degrees, rather than wasting it. I know the end result: trapped in a job that I'm REALLY good at, but I despise almost every person I work with.

The back stabbing, office-politics and all other BS has driven me crazy. So much so, that I bring that anger home...and sometimes....sometimes...take it out on my loving wife. I feel so ashamed when I yell at her in front of our son. I always try to make sure he's not around. It's not all the time, but...it's happened more and more in the last couple months. I find myself driving around for an extra 20 minutes, after leaving work, just to cool off.

I've been looking for other work, whether it's in the same industry (communications) or whatever. I just need to get out of there.

Stay in school kids. Serious.

Dude, I have an Engineering degree. I'm not going to be that D-bag engineer that pretends they have the best education in the world, but most people view that degree as a good solid degree. I still have to deal with the office garbage and stress. So that has nothing to do with doing more or less school.

The way I see things is make decisions in life and then don't look back. Looking back will only depress you. Make your decision the right decision and move forward.

With all that said, I spent 8 years in University getting my bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering. It was a long and difficult journey and most would look back on that as something they regret, but the people I met along the way and the person I became is incredible. I wouldn't trade a minute of it for anything. Yeah sure I would have probably been making a 6 figure income right now had I finished 4 years earlier, but I don't think I would have had as much fun along the way.

[RedMileDJ]

Originally Posted by _Q_

Dude, I have an Engineering degree. I'm not going to be that D-bag engineer that pretends they have the best education in the world, but most people view that degree as a good solid degree. I still have to deal with the office garbage and stress. So that has nothing to do with doing more or less school.

The way I see things is make decisions in life and then don't look back. Looking back will only depress you. Make your decision the right decision and move forward.

With all that said, I spent 8 years in University getting my bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering. It was a long and difficult journey and most would look back on that as something they regret, but the people I met along the way and the person I became is incredible. I wouldn't trade a minute of it for anything. Yeah sure I would have probably been making a 6 figure income right now had I finished 4 years earlier, but I don't think I would have had as much fun along the way.

I guess I look at it like this: If I had upgraded my education, when I had the chance, then maybe I would be with a more forward-thinking, positive, non-old-boys-club type job. Yes, I use the word job, and not career. There is no career here at all. Not anymore.

It's hard to explain. I've worked at places that have a great environment, great people, great benefits but the pay sucked. So I went to where I am now, and everything is opposite...for more money. But as of recent, they've clawed back commission percentages paid out on hardware, and are basically paying us less.

So now it all sucks.

I'm REALLY trying to be positive about it. I know that office politics are everywhere. But I've never had it this bad. And it IS bad.

At least I'm upgrading and looking for other work. If I could quit tomorrow, I would. I get chest pains just thinking about the place.

[TurnedTheCorner]

What don't I regret?

[Rutuu]

Originally Posted by _Q_

Dude, I have an Engineering degree. I'm not going to be that D-bag engineer that pretends they have the best education in the world, but most people view that degree as a good solid degree. I still have to deal with the office garbage and stress. So that has nothing to do with doing more or less school.

The way I see things is make decisions in life and then don't look back. Looking back will only depress you. Make your decision the right decision and move forward.

With all that said, I spent 8 years in University getting my bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering. It was a long and difficult journey and most would look back on that as something they regret, but the people I met along the way and the person I became is incredible. I wouldn't trade a minute of it for anything. Yeah sure I would have probably been making a 6 figure income right now had I finished 4 years earlier, but I don't think I would have had as much fun along the way.

Congrats on getting your degree after 8yrs...that's a long sentence to do in Engineering. It is worth it though I promise you.

[Yasa]

I regret not putting more effort into breaking out of my paranoid, narcissistic, delusional, and depressed state earlier. Teen angst that carried into my early 20's really held me back from doing a lot more and being a better person/friend/son/brother. I was lazy, unmotivated and too scared to admit to needing, and asking for help. But I did, and I don't regret that.

[Ashartus]

There are decisions I might have made differently if my current self was making them. There were women I was interested in and I'm pretty sure were interested in me but I was too shy to ask out in my younger years. But ultimately I have a great life - a wonderful wife and kids and a challenging job that I enjoy and pays fairly well - so I can't say I really regret any of the decisions that have led me hear.

My one real regret is that I treated a former childhood friend really poorly. We had a falling out, and later on a school trip I acted like a bully to him - something I should have known better than since I was a frequent victim of bullies myself. I lost touch with him after junior high, but all these years later I still feel I owe him a big apology.

[JiriHrdina]

I regret nothing really because I figure on a different path I wouldn't have my wife and daughter. So I'm happy.

But I do wish I had tried my hand at radio right out of high school instead of waiting until my late 20s. By the time I changed careers I couldn't give it enough time to get to a level where I could make a decent living and provide for my family. I was getting some traction but it just wasn't happening fast enough as I moved into my mid 30s. If I started earlier I think I could have done it long-term.

But I still consider it my paid hobby - doing a bit of it here and there. I've broadcasted games (lacrosse) from the Ed Whalen booth at the Dome - if that's as far as I ever go with it - I'll consider it worth it.

[cam_wmh]

Originally Posted by trackercowe

Which one is that?

You're a piece of sh**

[Cole436]

I don't have them.

Every bad decision, horrible experience or missed moment was just as important as every day of joy I've had. They've all contributed to where I am right here at this moment, and the person I've become. Having regrets does nothing but devalue who you are.

[calgarywinning]

I regret every time I think I will go the washrooms in section 224 at the Saddledome instead of just walking to section 216.

[jayswin]

Everything.

[pylon]

Originally Posted by AMG_G

I regret not being adamant about wearing a helmet while learning to inline skate with my girlfriend and because of that decision there is only one of us left today.

Very sorry to hear man. Did that happen in North Glenmore Park a few years ago?

[TurnedTheCorner]

Originally Posted by Cole436

I don't have them.

Every bad decision, horrible experience or missed moment was just as important as every day of joy I've had. They've all contributed to where I am right here at this moment, and the person I've become. Having regrets does nothing but devalue who you are.

I'm glad you can look at it that way. That's a gift.

[TheSutterDynasty]

I think regretting moments and decisions in your life is backwards. The decisions you've made have gotten you to the point you are now, and made you the person you are. If you were to go back and change something you had done then you'd be a different person, and it would no longer be "you" existing now and looking back - so how can you have regrets? This probably makes no sense but it does in my head.

Life just keeps getting better and better. I owe a lot of this to optimal health and having a routine; it really didn't matter where I was at because I was satisfied day to day, and then the big pieces fell into place. Concentrating on what I could control really helped - and helped me to avoid having regrets because those are things I can't change. I think it's also helpful to always be trying to better yourself as a person regardless of circumstance.

[Nage Waza]

I had a very serious opportunity to become an air traffic controller and I turned it down for another great opportunity. Although the decision I made turned out great for me, I always think of where I would be had I taken up air traffic.

[habernac]

Cigarettes and booze. Wasted 20 years of my life with smokes. I've cut way down on booze so that part is over.

Not getting a more useful post secondary education.

[nik-]

Most of regrets revolve around women. More of the bad choices not to get serious about really nice ladies and then looking back and realizing I could have missed the one. Most of my career regrets have been wiped out by my latest job, but overall I just wish my job specific knowledge was more focused and not so Generalist.

I do regret not really learning another language.