Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire If you could back up and do it over again...

If you could live your adult life over again,

would you change anything? and if so, what would you do, or what would you change...

Thought of this question, while watching a commercial...

For ST Jude's Children Hospital...

Every time I see one, I know exactly what I'd do over...and different...

After I got out of the service ( wouldn't change anything substantial before that time period), I'd have gone and got on board with St Jude's Childrens Hospital...

couldn't think of a more worthwhile way to live a life once again....

I would be more patient with my kids. It's really the one thing I regret is that I did not have enough patience with them when they were growing up.

Speaking of St Jude's, I'll be in Memphis this weekend running the St. Jude's Marathon. We have extended family that goes almost every year and runs in one of the events. We will have about 30 people there this year.

I hate those commercials, I want to take every one of those dang kids home!

I have no regrets, (well I have 1 but that was beyond my control)if things didn't go the way they did I wouldn't have the wife and kids I have and I couldn't have that.

I am very happy and content with the way life is.

I should have gone to medical school , the wisdom my parents imparted on me is priceless and I should have listened to 99% of what they told me.

Every time I think about one of those "what ifs", I look at my wife and kids and know that had I changed anything at all the likelihood is that I'd not have them.

For all the bumps, and pitfalls, and crashes along the road to this point, if the choice were to change anything along the way and avoid any/all of those, but not have them - I'll take them and what came every single time.

I'd have been more reckless.





Dave

...if you had been any more reckless you probably wouldn't be here to type.."I'd have been more reckless"....

Meh.

I'd have been fine.

Maybe.

I look at it the same way. It would have been nice to have retired from the military but had I not gotten out when I did, I likely would have missed spending time with my dad during his final weeks, I'd have never met my wife and would have never been blessed with my son.

I regret not going into the Marine Corps after high school, as long as the rest of my life played out the same. 30 years as a firefighter and a great wife and kids has me counting my blessings.

everything you do, or don't do, has a consequence. I can't really think of anything I would change at this point. Most everything worked out fairly well, and who knows how the end result might have been had I made different choices back in yesteryear.

Lots of bumps and falls getting here but as has been said I would change nothing. Was a hell of a lot of fun getting here and the reward of Kath and the kids and now grands kids...WOW! What a ride.

BTW, we have supported St. Jude's and Shriner's Children's hospitals for many moons.

I'd have spent more time with my parents. They were both gone when I was a young adult, and that's always been one of my life's biggest regrets.

I'd have been better about putting more of my money aside.

I would have tried to become less of an azzhole.

I'd have quit believing in my own academic prowess and accepted the first reasonable job to come along right after the ink was dry on my BSEE diploma.

I would have changed me

I can't even change me now.

I would be a chitload better husband and father. I allowed my 'need' for solitude in the field to have precedent over time with family.

I'd work long hours in construction all week so my family had all they needed and spend the weekends with a pack, gun, rod, binos... I was a great guy, didn't drink, go to the bar, chase women, beat the kids... I was an idiot...

One year I decided I would hunt every weekend from August archery deer to Feb javalina, birds, bear, varmint calling, elk, whatever... I almost made it, I only missed two weekends... looking back I can see what I really missed.

My wife would joke to other people that she saved me from being a hermit... hey, she knew how I was before we got married... what a self absorbed pigfucking excuse.

After 20 years I took her on my elk hunt, then my antelope hunt, then packing in to coues hunt, soon any hunt she wanted to. I'm the one who lost out those early years.

I really failed as a father, that is my legacy... sins of the father.

I refuse to fail anymore as a husband and won't as a grandfather... it'll never be enough.

Kent

Without a doubt...

Would not have gotten married when I did.

I would have taken my GI Bill money and gone to a flight school like Spartan or Embrey Riddle rather than dealing with the lowest scum of the human species.