What are your biggest regrets in life?

[Spartak1st]

Maria.

Being robbed of the last moments with my mum.

Not seeing the twins grow up.

 

[medwaymud]

Not marrying the one before the girl I did marry.

Mind you, I wouldn't swap the kids we had for anything.

 

[Banker]

I've been exceptionally lucky, by any standard. Left school at 16 and ended up running very large businesses. I do regret being wholly indifferent to "office politics", being a "deal guy", and that cost me a few years more of coasting at silly money. Still, finishing day-to-day work at 46 wasn't bad.

Then there's Jane, the relationship with whom I was too young to appreciate until I f'ked it up in spectacular style. Not a day goes by...........

I regret having joined the Signals, as I hated almost all of it, but was told it was that or nothing (which was weird in hindsight as I aced the physical and wanted infantry). RS was, at least at that time, about as shit as it got in the army.

I've no regrets on travel, I've been to more countries than I can remember, all on expenses thanks to business......where I spoke to my boss at best four times a year.

I do regret smoking, and particularly giving up for three years and starting again. Idiot.

Oh, and I regret not beating the shite out of my brother-in-law after he slagged-off my father shortly after his death. The things we do to maintain cordial relations with immediate family (in this case, a now estranged sister).

On balance, it's been a good ride, and 15yo me would have happily taken the chance of being where I am now.

 

[Goatman]

I regret not just sitting still and letting the MoD make me redundant in 2012, when my job moved to the West Midlands.

I regret believing the Grade 7 I went to work for in another Department that secondment was impossible.

I regret spending so much time away that my now ex realised she was happier on her own.

But I don't regret my time amongst around and as part of the military. Been a lot of places, seen a few things.

Now I need to sort my head out and move on

Quote from Sir Anthony Hopkins:

 

[ExREME.TECH]

Then there's Jane, the relationship with whom I was too young to appreciate until I f'ked it up in spectacular style. Not a day goes by...........

I regret having joined the Signals, as I hated almost all of it, but was told it was that or nothing (which was weird in hindsight as I aced the physical and wanted infantry). RS was, at least at that time, about as shit as it got in the army.

I've no regrets on travel, I've been to more countries than I can remember, all on expenses thanks to business......where I spoke to my boss at best four times a year.

I do regret smoking, and particularly giving up for three years and starting again. Idiot.

Oh, and I regret not beating the shite out of my brother-in-law after he slagged-off my father shortly after his death. The things we do to maintain cordial relations with immediate family (in this case, a now estranged sister).

On balance, it's been a good ride, and 15yo me would have happily taken the chance of being where I am now.

I'm now early 50s and got back with my ex from when I was 19, she was and still is my soul mate

 

[scoldog]

Quote from Sir Anthony Hopkins:

' None of us is getting out of here alive.
So jump in the ocean, walk in the sun, drink the good wine.
Be kind. Be weird. Be you.
There isn't time for anything else. '

Similar quote that I like.

 

[endure]

I regret being born at a time when I was forced to be dishonest about who I am and not being able to settle down with the love of my life.

 

[Mike Barton]

There is a very distinct theme running through this thread. So genuine question, and in no way meant disrespectfully, but is there something about service life that leads to so many awful first (and subsequent) marriages? Or are the posters here mainly from a certain age subset, say getting married in the 1970s, and that such calamitous mistakes aren't so common now with better counselling and less pressure to get married these days?

 

[Mölders 1]

There is a very distinct theme running through this thread. So genuine question, and in no way meant disrespectfully, but is there something about service life that leads to so many awful first (and subsequent) marriages? Or are the posters here mainly from a certain age subset, say getting married in the 1970s, and that such calamitous mistakes aren't so common now with better counselling and less pressure to get married these days?

Six of one and half a dozen of the other l would say.

 

[par avion]

There is a very distinct theme running through this thread. So genuine question, and in no way meant disrespectfully, but is there something about service life that leads to so many awful first (and subsequent) marriages? Or are the posters here mainly from a certain age subset, say getting married in the 1970s, and that such calamitous mistakes aren't so common now with better counselling and less pressure to get married these days?

A lot of squaddies joined the army very young - 15 to 18 in the seventies. Married the first women that they came across to get out of barracks, room inspections and all that bullshit. The thought of going home every day to a decent shag instead of being in a room with six or more smelly blokes.

Unfortunately when your lot kicked off over the water they were spending even more time in a cramped building with even smelly blokes. When they finally got home they found that their beloved had got bored and had disappeared with all the furniture and his other wordly possesions.

Rinse and repeat.

By the time of his third marriage, a soldier has found his soulmate for life.

 

[LouisetheSleaz]

That one definitely.

Dabbled in Shodokan Aikido a few years ago and started doing Krav Maga in the last few months. Thoroughly enjoying it but very aware of very much being in the foothills.

51 last month... it hurts.

Old fart.

 

[Himmler74]

We all have that one girl, the one be who stole your soul.

 

[LouisetheSleaz]

Not going back to France after the trial.

 

[re-stilly]

Going in for a tackle that snapped my Tib and Fib, changed the course of my Army career from Junior Leader to AR ....and the resulting issues of the break are causing issues now I am in my 50's

 

[Lardbeast]

...Learning far too late it is best to destroy your enemies...

This. The opportunity to dispose of a number of pains in the arse was presented and allowed to pass. The world would be a much better place with those cunts pushing up daisies.

 

[Lardbeast]

That’s more or less a mirror image of me. Total self destruction when not focussed on MST.
I suppose the regret over how stupid I was to try and keep in touch on tour when I should’ve had a break clean - being indifferent to personal safety and well-being is not conducive to survival in Afghan. Thankfully I was very lucky.

Perzackly. Wasted close to two years trying to fix something when I should have just buried the stupid bonehead cow under a new patio. It has to be among the dumbest Dutchies I've ever met, and @Cutaway and @CaptainRidiculous will know how fucking stupid they are when they get up to speed.

In fact (and this is completely my fault) I should have stuck to my guns when she first chatted me up and I told her to fuck off. Eventually wore down my defences with her tits and I allowed things to progress instead of just repeatedly telling it to fuck off until it got the hint.

 

[PapaGolf]

I regret not keeping the water samples I took from the tap water out of my Married Quarter in Javelin Barracks, Elmpt. When I tasted Aviation fuel in it the first time. Now I know how bad the ground water contamination was from the leaking fuel storage tank, and how many of my friends got cancer, I wish I had.
Might be a coincidence but I doubt it

 

[P.O.N.T.I]

Not doing Mrs Carter, my probation officer, *********** when she offered it to me

 

[Goatman]

We all have that one girl, the one be who stole your soul.

Invariably a redhead then .....

 

[Stanchion]

Not perhaps my greatest regret but I wish that in my callow youth that I had dropped people in the shit more often. people who really didn't deserve their actions covered up or played down.
Of course it's natural that miscreants deny their guilt, we all would.
But the moment you start expecting others to lie for you, or pretend they've not seen anything, it's time for them to man up and own up.
It took me a long time to realise that mis-placed loyalty is not a good thing.