Re: Would you do anything differently ?...

To be honest, I don't know. I stayed at home well into my forties (long story here), and at that time, a bad family life was forcing me out my own home. At that age, I had been working for a year and may have had just enough to some one bedroomed flat somewhere. Life would have been no doubt a lot harder for me, but there are times when I wish I could have that second chance of revisiting that point in my life and it would be interesting to see how things would have worked out.

Re: Would you do anything differently ?...

Meg, exactly what I ended up having to do, bought a packet of 10 Guards so I could 'flash' my fags too. Stopped 42 years later.

Re: Would you do anything differently ?...

Would you do anything differently ? . . . would you still live in Britain for example ?

I have little regrets about what I've done in my lifetime . . . as the song goes . . . . "I did it my way" . . . .

Re: Would you do anything differently ?...

Not many regrets here other than wasting thousands of pounds on smoking 40 a day for 40 years.. Packed it up three years ago and I've never felt better, but like they say, better to regret something you've done rather than something you haven't!

Re: Would you do anything differently ?...

I have a great many regrets going back to my earliest memories but thinking it all through I don't think that I'd want to change much if that were possible because I wouldn't be where I am now, and I would never have met my wife.
One major regret is starting smoking at 14; like many others I started to be "in" with everyone and although I gave up several times in the past I've always started up again.
I'm trying now so as I'm approaching 60 I made myself a promise three months ago to wean myself off them by September 10th or, if I fail, give up on September 10th and put up with the withdrawal!
My other major regret is not realising that I had a hearing problem much earlier in my life. I first had tinnitus when I was 17 but didn't realise the significance.
Now I'm down to hearing about 5% (unaided) in my right ear and about 10% in my left ear, again without my aid and it's still declining.
I learned British Sign Language in 1996 and passed the first level but I never pursued it further when I had the chance because it wasn't available much where I live unfortunately.
Now with my life becoming increasingly quieter I wish I had taken it further back then because I don't think it'll be long before they are talking cochlear implants now - not looking forward to that. stevmk2

Re: Would you do anything differently ?...

I've done and said things at times that I have regretted but they have been what I have wanted to do at the time. As we don't get a re-run to change whats gone then we have to learn from it. I don't like to be too negative about the past because that was then and this is now. I'm sure I will still have future regrets as time moves on but I hope they are not the same ones.

Re: Would you do anything differently ?...

I would have gotten a degree in library science rather than English lit; life would have been completely different. I don't regret smoking, although I now have COPD and was forced to stop in January;I miss it terribly. It's very politically incorrect to say that, but I do so wish I could have a smoke with my drink ....

Re: Would you do anything differently ?...

I have regrets but at what point would I have done things differently? If we change one important decision in our lives then everything is changed. I am content with the life as it is now.

Re: Would you do anything differently ?...

Just wanted to say plantman very well done Hubby gave up nearly three years ago after smoking for 50+yrs. I had tried to encourage him to give up several times over the years but eventually I gave up because basically he didn't want to. Then when he retired he suddenly decided he wasn't going to smoke again. He went cold turkey and hasn't smoked at all since. After all those years I couldn't believe it and under no pressure from anyone else. He even went onto the internet reading about all the horrific stuff that they put into cigarettes something he had stuck his head in the sand about before not wanting to know. I asked him why after all these years and his answer was he wanted to keep living and enjoy his retirement.

Re: Would you do anything differently ?...

I honestly don't regret anything in my past, I have never hurt another human being or done the dirty on anyone, I don't regret smoking which I still enjoy and love even if it does eventually kill me, I am fully aware of that fact, although people keep ramming it down my throat as if I were a child. Funny how people who quit keep talking about it and how long they're off them...alright your off them so forget them. I think it's one of the toughest things to give up and believe me I have tried for my Wife and my Grandchildren's sake...but only for them. Now I know for sure I will never succeed so I just enjoy each one as if it's my last. Having said that, I still have the greatest respect for those who managed to pack it in.