Regrets?

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I have few regrets in life really, the past is what it was, and you can't change it anyway, but there are a couple of things which do bug me from time to time.

The first is that I really wanted piano lessons when I was a kid - I used to mess around for hours on an old joanna in the front room at home. With a birthday looming large, I felt bold enough to approach the old feller on the subject...

"Piano lessons?? You're not a Jessie are you?" :suspect:

Sensitive soul - my old man. :D

I ended up with a new bike, which was pretty cool, and the piano lessons idea faded away, but I do now and again really wish.... oh well!

The other one is that when I retired I had the opportunity to go to Kosovo with the War Crimes Commission, and it would have been right up my street but that one would have cost me a divorce, and I could kind of see her point of view really so that was the end of that.

That's about it really for me. How about you?
 
Not many regrets to be honest. I mostly had an attitude of I'll try anything once when I was younger.

Giving up my music I guess. I just got lazy and didn't try to find another band.
 
I regret leaving school at 15, I left early because my form teacher who was also my maths teacher really had it in for me, not because I was a problem pupil, in those days they got away with a lot of things that would not happen in today's education system, he was a vindictive bad tempered sod and would take it out on me. The mistake I made was speaking up for myself.

I ended up with a blue collar occupation, a highly paid one at that, but very unhealthy, however we made some shrewd decisions and I was able to fully retire at 49 with my health:) so in a way I did not do too badly despite leaving school with no qualifications but I wonder to this day what I could have made of myself had I went the whole way.

A lesson was learnt and I made sure my two sons did not make the same mistake, the eldest graduated at Cambridge University with a first in science and the youngest a second at Durham University, also in science.

Me, I have a degree in common sense:D. which in my opinion is a very important one to have in life.

Another regret was deciding not to emigrate to Canada in the 70's when we had the chance, friends of ours at the time went through with it and they have done really well for themselves living in a country which I believe would have given us a better quality of life.

Having said that we are happy with the quality of life we have at the moment now that we are both retired and reaping the benefits of what good decisions we did make.
 
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Have few regrets on my education and upbringing by and large a happy one, a couple of regrets in the last few years but the past cannot be altered but should be looked on to be improved, everyone deserves a second chance and I try to be consistant with my outlook. Life is far too short to take second best in anything or for that matter just "make do" we should strive for what we consider to be our main goal even if at first we fail. :help: lol
 
CT said:
The first is that I really wanted piano lessons when I was a kid
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As you can probably tell from my avatar image, I am a guitar player (plus a few other stringed instruments).

I used to say that I wish I had been forced to have piano lessons when I was younger but I'm not sure now.

I think if they were forced, I would have lost interest.

Anyway, it's never too late. A friend (another guitar player) has recently started piano lessons and she is 43.


Steve.
 
Steve Smith said:
As you can probably tell from my avatar image, I am a guitar player (plus a few other stringed instruments).

I used to say that I wish I had been forced to have piano lessons when I was younger but I'm not sure now.

I think if they were forced, I would have lost interest.

Anyway, it's never too late. A friend (another guitar player) has recently started piano lessons and she is 43.


Steve.
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Oh I quite agree, there are more kids being press gangedi nto piano lessons to satisfy mom and dad than you can shake a stick at.

I agree it's never too late too, up to a point anyway, and I have played keyboard/piano for a long time - in fact starting in my forties, but there's no substitute for that structured learning experience at an early age, and that, together with unlearning a load of bad habits is what ultimately limits how far you can go with it.
 
Regret the things you do. Not the things you didn't do :)

If you can say "Well that was a silly idea. Shouldn't have done that!", you tried it and it didn't work out so you can regret it and learn. If you didn't do it but wish you had, then do it now if you can.

You can't regret something you didn't do. You'll never know what would have happened so you can't regret it. Better to have done it and then wish you didn't :)

Leads onto another thing I say frequently... try anything twice (just in case you screwed it up the first time).

Have fun!

George.
 
I could regret a lot of things about my life, but I believe it wouldn't be the way it is now if I had actually done those things.

If I had gone to art college, I would never have met Chris, nor would I live here ... and I probably wouldn't be a photographer either. Those things alone are a reason not to regret.

But I do often think about what it would be like now if I had done those things. What would I look like now, how would my health be, who would I have married (if ever) and the biggest one ... would I of been able to have children?

Who knows, maybe I'll get a second go and choose the other route next time :shrug: Or maybe I already have done it the other way in a previous existence.

:D Food for thought.
 
i do have many regrets in my life and im only 20 :lol:, but at the same time i now see them as they got me to where i currently am and i have to say I am the most happiest i have bin (mainly down to the gf who is currently away for 3months (coming near the end now, bring on the 9th august when i fly out to boston to meet her)).

regrets would be:
- not trying harder at college as i could possibly be better at my job/in a different job.
- giving up playing the drums although at the time it made sense (was going through gcse's lol so needed to give them up and then never got round to starting again.
- allowing myself to get depressed during college.
- losing touch with so many friends.

they are my main regrets so far lol, but like i say i wouldnt be who i am today if it wasnt for all of that.

not realising i liked photography sooner :lol:
 
I regret going to university.

The course content is only relevent to me 12 years down the line where I have forgotton prettymuch everything I learned. I could have had just as much fun getting a job locally only without the massive university debts.

And of course had I not gone to university my other regret would be moot point as she would never have entered my life.
 
I try not to regret anything, if I make any stupid mistakes then I just see it as a lesson learnt really, I do regret not knuckling down a bit more on my college course though.
 
My Mum was a piano teacher,I didn't like having to practise and would rather have been outside playing with my mates.I gave up and went on to play the guitar,ending up as a pro Bass player for a number of years.Just recently my Mum was visiting and was in my makeshift recording studio.I was making some backing tracks for a local band.My wife called us for dinner and I went to wash my hands,leaving my Mum to head to dining room.After dinner we both went back into the studio,where I had left everything running.I stopped it and played back the track.There was Mum recorded playing some awesome stuff on the keyboards.I said if you had learned me that stuff when I was younger I would probably have kept at the keyboards.She just said "You weren't ready"smiled and walked out to help the wife with the dishes. Mums eh!!
 
I only have 4 regrets.

1. Not doing better at school
2. Not buying a Caterham Super7 when I had the chance at 20
3. Not traveling before I got married.
4. Having a break from photography for 16 years.
 
I have a few regrets but not many at all

1. School - I joined the Army at 15 and thought I had things sorted so didn't do to well in my last year. Army career fell through with my knee..
2. Never put my feels to a old girlfriend right which resulted in loosing a child and her
3. Sold my manual gear boxed Pontiac Firebird ('89) when I was 21/22

They are it, not really regrets when I think about what I have - had a hard time with decisions made (and still do) but I have some health and a wonderful son would do it all again for him :)
 
I think my only regret was growing my moustache.If I had my life to live again,I dont think I would bother growing it this time ;)
 
My only real regret is not spending more time with my mum, I got a phone call in 1987 saying she was going into hospital in an ambulance with breathing difficulties,they operated straight away, I never spoke to her again, she went into a coma and died 10 days later, she was 49.
 
wack61 said:
My only real regret is not spending more time with my mum, I got a phone call in 1987 saying she was going into hospital in an ambulance with breathing difficulties,they operated straight away, I never spoke to her again, she went into a coma and died 10 days later, she was 49.
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as said life too short, I know what is right and what I want, my thoughts and feelings go out to you
 
My biggest regret so far is that I've never known exactly what I want to do in life career wise. I've started down many roads but never been able to settle at anything. I accept now that I'll probably be a job rather than a career person but that doesn't upset me too much as it means I'll probably have a simpler life.

I regret a previous relationship quite a lot as it left me in a lot of debt and a low place but that's in the past now and I've very happily moved on. I'm also none too keen on recalling a period in my late teens when I went a bit feral for a year or so trying to solve a huge problem I had.

Last, and probably most importantly, I regret not coming out to my parents sooner. I found it hard hiding an important part of my life from them for so long and ironically they only ended up living a short time after I'd told them - at least I did tell them and still had their love before they died and they got the chance to meet the person who is now my civil partner.
 
Regrets? I've had a few,
But then again, too few to mention.
I did what I had to do
And saw it through without exemption.

I planned each charted course -
Each careful step along the byway,
And more, much more than this,
I did it my way.

Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew,
When I bit off more than I could chew,
But through it all, when there was doubt,
I ate it up and spit it out.
I faced it all and I stood tall
And did it my way.

I've loved, I've laughed and cried,
I've had my fill - my share of losing.
But now, as tears subside,
I find it all so amusing...................

:D
 
^^ well someone had to do it. :D

I had a good idea who it might be too.
 
CT said:
I had a good idea who it might be too.
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Bows and slowly backs away to the door :D
I am surprised that I wasn't beaten to it after all this time though :)
 
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Not once in my life have I made the right choice when faced with a life altering decision. That takes skill, unfortunately it also leaves me with many regrets.
 
Cobra said:
Regrets? I've had a few,
But then again, too few to mention.
I did what I had to do
And saw it through without exemption.

I planned each charted course -
Each careful step along the byway,
And more, much more than this,
I did it my way.

Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew,
When I bit off more than I could chew,
But through it all, when there was doubt,
I ate it up and spit it out.
I faced it all and I stood tall
And did it my way.

I've loved, I've laughed and cried,
I've had my fill - my share of losing.
But now, as tears subside,
I find it all so amusing...................

:D
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Non, Rien De Rien, Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien
Ni Le Bien Qu'on M'a Fait, Ni Le Mal
Tout Ca M'est Bien Egal
Non, Rien De Rien, Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien
C'est Paye, Balaye, Oublie, Je Me Fous Du Passe

Avec Mes Souvenirs J'ai Allume Le Feu
Mes Shagrins, Mes Plaisirs,
Je N'ai Plus Besoin D'eux
Balaye Les Amours Avec Leurs Tremolos
Balaye Pour Toujours
Je Reparas A Zero

Non, Rien De Rien, Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien
Ni Le Bien Qu'on M'a Fait, Ni Le Mal
Tout Ca M'est Bien Egal
Non, Rien De Rien, Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien
Car Ma Vie, Car Me Joies
Aujourd'hui Ca Commence Avec Toi
 
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I have many.
One that is always nagging at me & is entirely my own fault/
When my sister got married although I did not care for her husband I put up with it.
After 18 months of marriage she gave birth to a wee girl, But as by this time I had had a serious falling out with her husband I did not go to see them. Pride I suppose.
Anyway six weeks later my sister died of luekemia & I never did get to make my peace with her.
That regret will always be with me.
 
Good thread CT!

I've been extremely fortunate and although I had far from the perfect childhood, have always accepted whatever life has thrown at me. I have generally followed my own instincts rather than listen to others - 'live for today as you never know what tomorrow will bring'.

I can only think of one regret I have (which is minor in the grand scheme of things), and that is trying to hold together a relationship that was beyond help. We stayed together for 11 years, although by the last 3-4 years, our relationship had gone stale. There were no bad feelings and we are still friends. I just wish that I had seen the light sooner!
 
None.
As said previously life is too short for post mortems on done and undone deeds.
I feel blessed to have the life I do - been married 20 years, and still blissful - 2 lovely children - and a doggie.
If anything had been different in the past, I wouldn't be where I am now. I'm almost always skint, but all the money in the world can't buy this.
 
Cobra said:
Bows and slowly backs away to the door :D
I am surprised that I wasn't beaten to it after all this time though :)
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I thought about it Chris,but realised I should let you have the "glory"......:thumbs:
 
Regret trying to sort out the otter killer the correct and official way rather than the old fashioned way.
 
OVer the past month Ikeep saying ' i will go and see me nan' I havnt got round to it yet. After reading some of hte posts on here. I am going today.
 
Cig'rettes 'n whiskey 'n wil', wil' wimmin!

OK, just the fags and booze.

OK, even the booze is OK but I wish I had waited a few years until I got so heavily into it they maybe I would have done a bit better at A levels, got into uni etc.

Nah! Soddit! It was a blast!

I do regret ever starting smoking though. They say that weed is the commonest gateway drug but I don't know anyone who started on that without being a ciggy smoker first.

At least I can now enjoy A drink or even 2 without feeling the urge to finish the bottle or case as well as being able to enjoy being in a pub without coming out smelling like an Arbroath Smokie (but that's a different discussion).
 
sawman said:
Know what you mean. The old ways are the best.:thumbs:
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Problem is that I can no longer sort it that way,due to trying to sort it another way.....:bang:
 
fracster said:
Problem is that I can no longer sort it that way,due to trying to sort it another way.....:bang:
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Yep you can end up "damned if you do"
and damned if you don't"
 
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