Regrets, I've had a few?

boatme99

boatme99

Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Messages
2,066
Reaction score
4,941
Location
Middle Tennessee
How about it?
Would you change anything?

In my life, I have only one major regret.

I'm a military brat. I enlisted in the U.S.A.F. at 17 years of age.
I took my discharge when I was 21.

It was the first time in my life that I didn't have an ID card. The first time in my life that I was free of the military.

I've had a good life and done some interesting things. Lots of travel (conus), multiple ex wives (some very interesting), 2 wonderful daughters, and have never wanted for anything.

But as I've aged, I realize that I've missed out on a very unique life that only the military can provide.

So I think my only real regret in this life, is not sticking with the Air Force through to retirement.

I know life would be very different for me now. Better? Who knows. But it would certainly be different.

How about you.
Any major regrets? Job? Marriages? Education?
 
Register to hide this ad
ill only say I didn't tell my loved ones I loved them enough. Then I'll go as not to make a fool of myself.
 
boatme99 said:
So I think my only real regret in this life, is not sticking with the Air Force through to retirement.
Click to expand...

Interesting. I have heard several times from folks who were in the military and expressing a tone of regret and wondering what life would have been like had they stayed in. My father included. He was in WWII in the Army Air Corps. After he retired from a civilian job he wondered if he should have stayed in.

And now my kid who did a 4 year hitch in the Navy commented after being out for about a year wondering if he should have stayed in. He is in college now using his GI Bill so his future is still unfolding.

Me, I just wonder if after a few years of law enforcement if I shouldn't have gone after a law degree and been a prosecutor. But, water under the bridge... Absolutely no interest in being a lawyer now. The schooling, the memorization, and so many headaches!

My brother did a career in the Air Force and now that I think of it, he never expressed any regret in doing that....hmmm.
 
Part of a Proud Minority

I was in the air force 1970 to 1974. In 1974, 9% of the people who were promoted to staff sergeant (E-5) during their first enlistment got out at the end of that first enlistment. Three months before my discharge, I was eligible to take the promotion test for tech sergeant, E-6. Because I was not going to re-enlist, I was denied access to the test room.

I have no regrets about getting out of the air force. I also returned to college and graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a mechanical engineering degree. I have thought many times that I wished I had entered the air force after high school in 1966. That bell can't be unrung.
 
I mess up a LOT......

But two things I did right was 1) Marry well and 2) Adopt our son (even though he is trying his best to make us regret it.)

As far as the bad stuff goes I'd do it over only if I knew then what I know now. Given the same set of circumstances and the same time I'd probably not do anything to improve my situation.
 
I'd just like to give a shout out to those girls who thought I was rejecting them. I was too dumb back then to realize you were hitting on me.:o

I probably do the same even now, but these days my age gives me the excuse of being a gentleman.;):D
 
My few triumphs and many, many failures and mistakes add up to who I am today in old age. I'm reasonably comfortable with what I have become, so I don't worry about the past. It's gone, tomorrow isn't here yet, and I have only today. I'll go to bed shortly feeling grateful that I didn't perpetrate some colossal screw-up today.
 
My Way

I regret I have a big ole fat Elvis now stuck in my head braying Frank's song "My Way" like a mule!

Regrets, I've had a few
But then again, too few to mention
I did what I had to do
And saw it through without exemption
I planned each charted course
Each careful step along the byway
And more, much more than this
I did it my way
 
Count your Blessings!

I've got some regrets, sure. But it all was on the road to where I am now. And that's not such a bad place. It could certainly be worse!

It's certainly not new to think of what might of been. It's part of being human. But being glad for what we have, and not bitter about what we lack, is the essence of happiness. IMHO, of course.



"...God pity them both! and pity us all,
Who vainly the dreams of youth recall.

For of all sad words of tongue or pen,
The saddest are these: "It might have been!"

"Maud Muller" by John Greenleaf Whittier, 1856
 
Regrets, yes, more than a few.

My biggest regret would be not marrying the one that told me "Marry me now or loose me forever". 22 years old then, 53 years now. 3.5 years ago she and I became very close again after the death of my girlfriend of 16+ years. We talk on the phone at least once a month. Her husband and I are good friends, good enough that they stay at my house when traveling through the MEM area and I stay at their house when in the ATL area.

I keep telling Steven I'm going to steal her back one of these days. He thinks I'm joking. ;)

Would I change anything? Not a chance. This has been one hell of a fun ride.

Class III
 
rwsmith said:
But two things I did right was 1) Marry well and 2) Adopt our son (even though he is trying his best to make us regret it.)

As far as the bad stuff goes I'd do it over only if I knew then what I know now. Given the same set of circumstances and the same time I'd probably not do anything to improve my situation.
Click to expand...

I did the exact same thing! My adopted son is almost 5 months old now, and the most valuable thing in my life. I've let a few Smiths get away from me, and there are a few girls, I would have liked to treated better. I probably would not have chosen law enforcement as a career. But when the little Skiester smiles at me, I wouldn't change a thing. I have become soft hearted since becoming a parent.:o
 
6518John said:
I regret I have a big ole fat Elvis now stuck in my head braying Frank's song "My Way" like a mule!

Regrets, I've had a few
But then again, too few to mention
I did what I had to do
And saw it through without exemption
I planned each charted course
Each careful step along the byway
And more, much more than this
I did it my way
Click to expand...

Yes, except for me its Frank Sinatra singing it...a line from another song also comes to mind: Against the Wind, by Bob Seeger. I believe the lyric is "I wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then." Yeah, I think about that one a lot here lately.
 
I could have married better the first two times. No. 1 and I were too young to know what we were doing or what we really wanted in a marriage. No. 2 was an absolute disaster and I knew that within a year, but stayed married for 10 trying to "fix" it. The third time was the charm. ..........

Oh, and in 1996 I killed a Mule Deer Buck that had the 2nd or 3rd best rack of horns taken that year in Nevada (matched 7 pts./side and 32" spread). I was driving in to my favorite hunting spot, stepped out of my Jeep and shot him. He was too tough for good eating, I don't ever have heads mounted and it was so easy of a kill that I didn't feel any 'satisfaction of the hunt'. All in all, I should have just enjoyed seeing him and let him go on to continue improving the mule deer gene pool in that part of Nevada. :-( ................... Big Cholla
 
I too regret not making the Air Force a career. My ex-wife didn't like the life and had I known we'd divorce later I'd have stayed in I think. I was due an isolated overseas deployment on re-enlistment and that would have likely been the end of that marriage. I could have got on with my life sooner without her then rather than waiting another ten years.
I don't know anyone that did 20 or more years say they wish they hadn't.

My current wife took me to a nice bed and breakfast for my 40th birthday. I told her then had I stayed in the AF I'd be retired that day. She said but you'd never had met me. I said sure but I'd be retired now!
 
Brian41 said:
I too regret not making the Air Force a career. My ex-wife didn't like the life and had I known we'd divorce later I'd have stayed in I think. I was due an isolated overseas deployment on re-enlistment and that would have likely been the end of that marriage. I could have got on with my life sooner without her then rather than waiting another ten years.
I don't know anyone that did 20 or more years say they wish they hadn't.

My current wife took me to a nice bed and breakfast for my 40th birthday. I told her then had I stayed in the AF I'd be retired that day. She said but you'd never had met me. I said sure but I'd be retired now!
Click to expand...

Did it become a "couch" an breakfast after your comment?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

B
Getting an old war horse back into action- S&W 1917 D.A 45
2
Replies
31
Views
1K
Randallhpd
R
S
It's all just stuff...
2 3
Replies
70
Views
3K
flash60601
F
Puller
Thread Ratings: Here's what I'd like to know
Replies
18
Views
1K
Mike SC Hunter
M
C
First time in a long time, gun show report
Replies
11
Views
954
tbird1960
T
EricandSuebee
My S&W mod 1905 arrived today
Replies
20
Views
966
glowe
glowe

Latest posts

Back
Top