If you knew then what you know now...

[Jstpssng]

Two big things I could have done differently;
1) Bought more "cutover" land 25 years ago, when it was dirt cheap; it would just be starting to produce merchantable timber now.

2) Travelled more, especially when I lost my first "real" job back in 1984.


Had I done things differently though, I could be sitting here wishing I had lived the way I actually have. Make a decision, you've got to stick with it;
the biggest thing I've learned is "Don't look back."

 

[jbrumberg]

A lot of other people and I never thought that I would live to see legal age. Surprisingly and fortunately for +30 years I have helped people learn to live as well learn to die well. When I read the collective knowledge of the membership of TBN it becomes more apparent to me and reinforces my own belief that living in connection with the earth and others brings its own stability and wisdom. I only wish I could offer this wisdom to those I have and continue to serve as well as those who allegedly serve us. Jay

 

[HomeBrew2]

J,
That's a very well constructed wad of words. I agree completely.
The offering is easy. The receiving is the problem, in my experience.
Unfortunately, giving, requires both.
I expect the urban scurge to overcome my efforts. Hopefully others have better luck.

 

[CATMAN]

I would have worn hearing protection. Starting on the farm, then with high performance car engines and racing, then on to diesel engines. Hard to hear voices when there is too much background noise. I wear ear plugs 8 hours a day, now and save what I have left. I sure my snowmobiles aren't helping either.

Oh, my parents were way more intelligent than I thought when I was 17-18. Words of wisdom from years ago: You can start making decisions about the farm when you put your own money into it. [basically: Put your money where your mouth is]​

Don't let my big brother hold me upside-down and drop me on the concrete sidewalk (accidentally).

 

[txdon]

I would have built our weekend cabin a bit bigger and on a slab. Then I might have been able to call it my retirement home instead of re-building.

However ten years ago I didn't think I could convince the wife to love rural living - full time. I'm glad I was wrong.

 

[billbill1]

Wish I would have had grandkids earlier, had no idea how much I would enjoy being a grandpa.

 

[texasjohn]

Wish I had understood mental health issues 15 years sooner... might have made a difference in the quality of life for a family member.

 

[cp1969]

I would have given serious consideration to the advice of William Makepeace Thackeray, who said:

"Remember, it is as easy to marry a rich woman as a poor woman."

I have neighbors who followed his advice. They don't have to work; I do.

Seriously, I would repeat all the same mistakes I made. I really wouldn't want to change anything.

 

[rox]

I really had a hard time coming up with "regrets" or things I would have done differently. Most of the credit for our comfortable life now is do to my husband though, not me. if it were just me or I had married a different type of man, i probably wouldn't have a pot to p*ss in as my dad would say. I really think I grew up a lot after getting married at age 20. My husband growing up very very poor had a healthy respect for money, and he wanted it and was willing to work hard for it. I guess you would say we went his way of thinking, not mine. And 32 years later, viola his way was a pretty good way.

I really sat and though about the qustion for a while, did i regret any of my jobs, wished I had a different one? No because when i ceased to enjoy going to work every day I jsut quit and got a different job, each time a better job. The only things I would really do differently is all realeted to our homes. On our last house I regret not putting in floor joists over top fo the garage, we had a big huge storage room over top of a 3 car garage and only had ceiling joists from the garage ceiling. i regret not ripping out the tile counter tops and putting in granit earilier. I only got to enjoy them for a short time.

I regret planting a tree close too the new house we built, 25 years later when I drive by I see the tree is too close to the house. I regret not finishing the basement off even though it was 13 blocks high and had all the plumbibng roughed in. That basement would have been great for ht ekids and we never did finish it off.

I also regret that my hsuband did not, wouold NOT listen to me when after putting int he offer on the olive farm, when I wanted to liquidate a bunch of stock and put half the purchase price in the bank in Euros. i figured if we put half in Euros now and had half in Dollars which ever way the uS Dolalr went up or down, we would stay even. he would NOT listen to me and it ended up costing us $300,000. Just think fo the tractor toys I coudl have right now with that $300,000. That is probably the biggest regret i have, actually this is noto my regret at all, consider that i am posting this for my hubby. HE regrets that he did not listen to my sound advice! Grrrrrr that one still irks me.

 

[Fergie]

I don't regret much it's made me what I am. Some things I wish I'd have done ? Well, I would have ducked on the 21st December 1995 and I would have got together with my wife when we first met or even the second or third rather than at th 4th time of asking