First off, this is not a self-depreciating blog. I’m not cutting myself down, nor living in the coulda/woulda world.
But the other evening my mind drifted off into wondering what I would have done with my life if I were just a little smarter. Had a little bit more memory control. It’s not a coulda/woulda _______ (loved more, communicated more) overly emotional yadda yadda offering.
If I were a bit smarter I would have:
- Learned to play piano
- Started honing my writing career earlier
- Watched Star Wars first on a theater screen
- Gone to college
- Taken a part time (or full time) job while running the bed and breakfast
- Kept my ticket stub from seeing the Beatles at White Sox Park
- Worked harder to get my books published
- Practiced better hygiene when I was in middle school
- Learned the names of classical composers and their music
I wouldn’t want to change my choices in life — those are what they are. And, knowing me, I would have chosen the same path. But it’s the extra-curricular thoughts that I wonder about. If these things would have added anything to my life.
What about you? Any bullet points in your life you wish you could have added to your life? Even one?
Have fun and don’t be hard on yourself!
Humoring the Goddess 
You can still go to college, learn the composers and play the piano.
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I think crafting took the place of piano playing, I’ve learned my favorite composers’ names and my favorite pieces, and I hope to sit in on a college class come Fall. It’s all just about 50 years too late…ha!
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My life is a collection of poorly thought decisions, but mostly, I wish I had been less lazy during my high school years. I believe that would have changed my life for the better.
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I kinda hear you. Me too. Good thing we’re almost perfect now!!
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I think almost everyone thinks like that, especially later in life, we regret things we did and things we didn’t do . I would hav loved to be a nurse or a midwife but 50 years ago girls were supposed to be housewife’s, only the rich girls were sent to university, not for getting a good job afterwards but for getting a wealthy husband. At least it was like that in our country.
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It was often the same thing when I graduated from high school. Half the girls went to college, but more went straight out into the working world. I tried taking some night classes in my early 20s but I was just busy working and paying rent for an apartment and making car payments. It looks like the world had done a turn around, too, because 30 years ago everyone went to college. 20 years ago. College was for my oldest son but not for my youngest. And my grandson seems more oriented towards a trade school than a university. As long as they’re learning it doesn’t matter what they do!
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I have two degrees, but regret not having a second child.
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I wonder if that has anything to do with being smarter… that’s one of those life choice things . I know when the first gets older that twinge gets stronger. It did for me. But now I’ve got just one too . That’s where grandkids come in!,❤️❤️
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Of course, the grands. I knew of your loss, and so I apologize if my comment caused you pain.
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Honestly, no! I am finding ways to phrase the sorrow of the past into the positive love of the future. Anything can happen to anyone at any time. That’s the truth. I encourage all of those with kids and thinking of kids and having grown kids to go for the love that’s available there! Love you!!
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I play this game a lot. Ideally, I’d like to go back in time to inhabit my young body again, but being the older me inside. What I couldn’t do with all that knowledge!
I would also have become a writer much earlier, in combination with working in a library. City employees are paid well and get more time off. This might have made it possible then to buy a small house or apartment when it was still somewhat affordable.
I would have listened to my body more so that I wouldn’t become ill with ME/CFS. I would do a lot things very differently and worried much less of what people thought of me.
I did get to “go to college” though. When I became ill and I couldn’t work anymore, I started studying from home with the Open University in the UK. It was part-time and it took me six years to get a Bachelor of Arts. Some things are still possible at any age. The oldest student on one of the courses I took was 90!
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An inspiration to us all! I have been thinking of taking opt in classes at the local university … it’s free for seniors. Just to sit and listen to a knowledgeable person in your field would be marvelous!
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Go for it!
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Haha … if I was smarter, I wouldn’t procrastinate about reading all the books in my wonderful collection … 😉📘📚
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Ha! I should have added that one to my bullet points too!
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Such a good question. If there would have been a way to either study writing in college, along with my psychology major or somehow develop my writing as a second career, I think I would be more fulfilled. I was in my 50s when I began blogging and wrote only occasionally before that. I wish more people could read my writing and I had more options.
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I am sooooo with you!
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There is only one thing I have always regretted and that is not attending university as I know I would have loved it. Having said that, I have self educated myself and have taken university level courses over the years. But to have attended university and have earned a degree would have been so satisfying. Not that I would trade having had my children and the wonderful jobs I have had.
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Yes yes! We are no less worlds because of not going, but still…. A little more education wouldn’t hurt!
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