regrettable viewpoints from your early youth

BlunderWoman

Senior Member
I remember telling my friend " Why are they making us take English? It's so stupid! We already speak English!"

said the woman who now never feels confident about punctuation.
 

I remember a family living class of girls and the teacher saying " What do you want to do when you graduate?". Some people raised their hands and had plans made...teaching, nursing, maybe a stewardess or two. The rest of us came up with getting married and having kids. The teacher was trying to emphasize that it was 1973 and that wasn't going to be an option for most of us. We needed career paths too. I wish I had listened closely to that.
 

That at 17, I knew what love was and how bad I wanted to be an adult..Silly, silly, naive girl..
 
Yup, you're a kid and you want to be a teen, you're a teen and want to be an adult...fast forward, you're a senior and want to go back.
 
That's an interesting one and I'm not sure how to answer. Certainly probably thought I knew a little more than I actually did. Even myself who has chronically lacked confidence all my life.
 
Man, this is a great topic! Basically I regret believing that Mom had everything right...especially while I was thinking "that can't be right".

Biggest regret: I married three times; #1 for all we had in common, #2 for money, and #3 for security. And I divorced three times; #1 because one of the things we had in common was that we were both attracted to men, #2 physical abuse, #3 he had a severe gambling addiction (wiped out my savings).

The thing is, Mom told my sisters and I that marriage was something we had to do, that a woman who didn't marry had something wrong with her, would grow old friendless, shunned, alienated from society. I knew in my heart that I didn't want to get married. I only did it because Mom started suspecting I was gay. In her words exactly, "I'd rather be told my child has cancer than to be told she's gay!" Incredible, right?

The 2nd marriage (for money) was particularly for her sake, because "Of course [your first marriage] didn't work! You marry for money, not for what you have in common...women have nothing in common with men!" :playful: pfff!

If I hadn't bought into Mom's garbage, I'd have had an infinitely smoother, happier life.
 
Well I as well have a similar regret. I regret wasting my youth 'in love' with 'love' when I should have gotten a education and concentrated on that FIRST. I should have allowed myself to mature a little FIRST. But hey who doesn't think they know all there is to know at 18?
 
I would tell any young woman now. Don't worry about dating until you're mid-twenties. Really just work on your education and job skills, establishing a career. I mean sure go out and have fun, but romance is sweeter when you're independent.
 
I remember talking with my friends about what we thought was the Big Bang Theory and we figured that was how babies happened:) but sex? Ewwww. We weren't ever going to do that.
 
Man, this is a great topic! Basically I regret believing that Mom had everything right...especially while I was thinking "that can't be right".

Biggest regret: I married three times; #1 for all we had in common, #2 for money, and #3 for security. And I divorced three times; #1 because one of the things we had in common was that we were both attracted to men, #2 physical abuse, #3 he had a severe gambling addiction (wiped out my savings).

The thing is, Mom told my sisters and I that marriage was something we had to do, that a woman who didn't marry had something wrong with her, would grow old friendless, shunned, alienated from society. I knew in my heart that I didn't want to get married. I only did it because Mom started suspecting I was gay. In her words exactly, "I'd rather be told my child has cancer than to be told she's gay!" Incredible, right?

The 2nd marriage (for money) was particularly for her sake, because "Of course [your first marriage] didn't work! You marry for money, not for what you have in common...women have nothing in common with men!" :playful: pfff!

If I hadn't bought into Mom's garbage, I'd have had an infinitely smoother, happier life.

I also married 3 times. #1 was because I thought I was in love - he was cute and fun. #2 total insanity. #3 real love. finally made a good choice!
 
My biggest regret was starting to smoke at the ripe old age of 13. Although I quit many years later I think about not only the price it paid to my health but to the price to my bank account.
 
My biggest regret was starting to smoke at the ripe old age of 13. Although I quit many years later I think about not only the price it paid to my health but to the price to my bank account.

I reget that I ever started. I was 14 when I first tried it and hooked by the time I was 15. Quit at 40.
 
I somewhat regret university.... Or rather, I went for the wrong reason. I fast-tracked through secondary school and was a year or two younger than most students. I really would have preferred a good job that gave me day release to take professional qualifications, but went to uni to please my parents (mostly mother). At the end of the day, I don't think anything really pleased her - my choice of wife, my lifestyle, my rejection of religion etc.

Still, it worked out OK - but I could never have predicted the twists and turns that life would take.
 
I somewhat regret university.... Or rather, I went for the wrong reason. I fast-tracked through secondary school and was a year or two younger than most students. I really would have preferred a good job that gave me day release to take professional qualifications, but went to uni to please my parents (mostly mother). At the end of the day, I don't think anything really pleased her - my choice of wife, my lifestyle, my rejection of religion etc.

That's it! I was nearly 40 before I realized it was impossible to please Mom. I had already figured out the "Why should I?" part, but it took a lot longer to recognize it was futile to even try. I thought she'd appreciate the bragging rights when I started college, but alas it only put me on my "high-horse".

The up-side is that I learned (eventually) that accomplishing things for my own sake was far more meaningful than trying to do it for someone elses.
 
.... I thought she'd appreciate the bragging rights when I started college, but alas it only put me on my "high-horse".

I know that feeling, both parents. Nothing I could do or say would change their minds. Even shoveling manure out of a barn every year (literally). ;)
 
It took me until last year to make peace with my Dad. Nothing I do will ever please him. If I called him tonight and said " Guess what? I passed the bar!", he'd just grumble why did it take me so long and do I still have those smelly dogs are going to turn on me one day, and the mess, you don't have time to clean up after them and now you're going to be working long hours, you should have given that some thought...sigh, I surrender.
 
Yup, you're a kid and you want to be a teen, you're a teen and want to be an adult...fast forward, you're a senior and want to go back.
Yes, wish I could go back and replace those 'grim' teenage years with fun: Dancing, singing, traveling, and more!
Biggest regret was that I did not have a high IQ and envy of those who did!
Being really clever at high school in Germany was the 'in' thing!
It took me many years to realize it really did not matter at all! :yeah:
 
I remember telling my friend " Why are they making us take English? It's so stupid! We already speak English!"

said the woman who now never feels confident about punctuation.

Maybe I'm stupid, but I have yet to read a post of yours where I thought "that's not right" about a sentence.
 


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