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smirkymonkey

(63,221 posts)
58. Tried harder.
Thu Dec 17, 2020, 01:10 AM
Dec 2020

I have been a slacker all of my life. I have still done ok despite it all, but I would have liked to have achieved my full potential. I think I was just too afraid to fail at anything. I never really had to work hard to get by, so I didn't.

I wish I had moved to Europe and had become a historian or a professor of European history. I wish I had not been so afraid of financial insecurity and so afraid of leaving the security of the corporate world.

I did go back to graduate school for something I was minorly interested in (well, quite interested at the time), but realized that at I was not comfortable living without the perks and salary of a corporate job, so I went back. And ended up hugely in debt on top of it. Biggest mistake of my life and not very well thought through.

Most of all, I wish I had been true to myself, more authentic and more honest with myself and others. I have finally learned, but there were too many wasted years.

Oh, on edit: I would have gotten a dog. I still hope to have one someday. It is my greatest ambition in life.

Bought Apple Stock in 1980..... OAITW r.2.0 Dec 2020 #1
Me, too. I literally passed on buying apple mnhtnbb Dec 2020 #78
I would want to be my moms dog... Enterstageleft Dec 2020 #2
I would be a child prodigy and write children's books in Kindergarten. TigressDem Dec 2020 #3
I'd want to be a college professor Poiuyt Dec 2020 #4
Leave home for good at 19 and later marry the boy I fell in love with... Hekate Dec 2020 #5
I would not ask my sons if they would... 3catwoman3 Dec 2020 #6
My son-in-law does that with my granddaughters. Mariana Dec 2020 #61
Yes, she does. 3catwoman3 Dec 2020 #67
I would have become a comedian/comedy writer. yankeepants Dec 2020 #7
Find what I wanted to do for a living much earlier in life. Initech Dec 2020 #8
Be born genetically and phenotypically female (nt) LostOne4Ever Dec 2020 #9
There are so many things... angstlessk Dec 2020 #10
I wouldn't have started using cocaine SoonerPride Dec 2020 #11
I should'a gotten it on with Patty, Nancy, Doreen, Judy and Sally. 3Hotdogs Dec 2020 #12
I would not take the job on which I wasted years of my life. LisaL Dec 2020 #13
I'd stay out of the sun DUgosh Dec 2020 #14
I'd become a vet, specializing in horses Green Line Dec 2020 #15
Would you tend to my goats? DURHAM D Dec 2020 #20
Yeah, I wouldn't have raised horses and would have been a librarian csziggy Dec 2020 #49
I worked with horses for years Green Line Dec 2020 #88
I bred foundation Quarter Horses csziggy Dec 2020 #90
At my age the only horses I could have would be lawn ornaments Green Line Dec 2020 #91
I call mine pasture potatoes but it is nice to be able to watch them csziggy Dec 2020 #101
Sure, I love goats. Green Line Dec 2020 #89
As overall happy as I am with the direction I took, grumpyduck Dec 2020 #16
Lots of things... BluRay76 Dec 2020 #17
Welcome to DU, BluRay76. mia Dec 2020 #56
Nice first post, BlueRay76. Totally Tunsie Dec 2020 #92
Moved to NZ when I had the chance. GeorgeGist Dec 2020 #18
I would be an architect mia Dec 2020 #19
I would not have married my first wife. Quemado Dec 2020 #21
I would not have married my first husband yellowdogintexas Dec 2020 #23
Interesting answers flying rabbit Dec 2020 #22
After college, fled to Paraguay and fought extradition..... lastlib Dec 2020 #24
Never quit school vercetti2021 Dec 2020 #25
That's a biggie.. LeftInTX Dec 2020 #75
30 vercetti2021 Dec 2020 #81
30 is young. My mom started college for the first time at age 39, Tanuki Dec 2020 #86
Young! Community college is fairly easy and there are so many flexible options today LeftInTX Dec 2020 #95
that is SO young!!! renate Dec 2020 #99
I would have bought a farm, or farm land. Bluethroughu Dec 2020 #26
Live on a farm shanti Dec 2020 #27
Finish my degree. Laffy Kat Dec 2020 #28
Go back - you will probably enjoy it much more than you did years ago. walkingman Dec 2020 #68
So many things. silverweb Dec 2020 #29
Stopped doing things half-assed... Blue_playwright Dec 2020 #30
Once in an interview they asked Gracie Slick of The Jefferson Airplane Mr.Bill Dec 2020 #31
Uh, Gracie Enterstageleft Dec 2020 #44
I would have I_UndergroundPanther Dec 2020 #32
I have 80 goats jcgoldie Dec 2020 #33
Wow. DURHAM D Dec 2020 #35
yes of course jcgoldie Dec 2020 #38
I just used the goggle to figure out how you DURHAM D Dec 2020 #46
yes jcgoldie Dec 2020 #48
I posted these here before but jcgoldie Dec 2020 #43
Awwwhhh - you are a lucky man. nt DURHAM D Dec 2020 #47
I think somebody made the ears too long. n/t PoliticAverse Dec 2020 #55
Great pics! Bayard Dec 2020 #57
Thanks ! jcgoldie Dec 2020 #59
Go to college instead of marrying young marlakay Dec 2020 #34
Be the second coming of Bucky Fuller Stinky The Clown Dec 2020 #36
Write songs, play guitar, piano and sing Tiger8 Dec 2020 #37
go to law school. BainsBane Dec 2020 #39
I took the LSATs and was accepted but DURHAM D Dec 2020 #54
Take more risks. SharonClark Dec 2020 #40
This message was self-deleted by its author SharonClark Dec 2020 #41
Majored in Engineering instead of Philosophy the first time around. meadowlander Dec 2020 #42
Change my major. herding cats Dec 2020 #45
Not a single thing different. I wouldn't even take the offer. Tarc Dec 2020 #50
I wouldn't have talked myself out of so many things..... FM123 Dec 2020 #51
Not married my 1st wife! CanonRay Dec 2020 #52
Been more physical. Demobrat Dec 2020 #53
Tried harder. smirkymonkey Dec 2020 #58
"I wish I had not been so afraid of financial insecurity and so afraid of leaving the security... Yavin4 Dec 2020 #64
Good for you, Yavin! smirkymonkey Dec 2020 #77
Lived a life with less regret Bayard Dec 2020 #60
Eat properly. Lucinda Dec 2020 #62
I should have taken an offered transfer to Eugene, Oregon in the 70's from Texas. Little did I walkingman Dec 2020 #63
I would have went away ellie Dec 2020 #65
Not been raised LDS n/t FreeState Dec 2020 #66
Go VHS, not Beta Dem4Life1102 Dec 2020 #69
I'd stay out of that bar in Naturita, CO liberaltrucker Dec 2020 #70
I'll bite. Lemme guess. That's moonscape Dec 2020 #74
Yep! liberaltrucker Dec 2020 #102
Get the hell out of Florida when I came of legal age. William769 Dec 2020 #71
Asked for mental health care in elementary school instead of relying on food for comfort usajumpedtheshark Dec 2020 #72
Go to medical school. Sucha NastyWoman Dec 2020 #73
Traveled when I was young and travel was easy to do. ☹ nt Raine Dec 2020 #76
Sorry 2 things Coleman Dec 2020 #79
Nothing. Everything I've done has led me here, and here is Luz Dec 2020 #80
I would have tried harder in high school and gone to college right after instead of going now, 20 Luciferous Dec 2020 #82
Follow my heart instead of my head Dirty Socialist Dec 2020 #83
Due to circumstances beyond my control, Roisin Ni Fiachra Dec 2020 #84
learn more, start work and saving earlier bigtree Dec 2020 #85
just a few things, because I love my life! NRaleighLiberal Dec 2020 #87
My wife and I crossed paths so many times when younger but didn't meet until years later. Efilroft Sul Dec 2020 #93
I would have taken that overland trip from Istanbul to India in 1976 bif Dec 2020 #94
I would have not majored in Art Mossfern Dec 2020 #96
I Would Make RobinA Dec 2020 #97
I would have my parents live longer and be healthier...and My Grandparents too...other than Demsrule86 Dec 2020 #98
Become an architect. Tracer Dec 2020 #100
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