If you could go back in time and do one thing differently ...

[annie987]

... what would it be?

Not to have married my husband; my instincts were telling me not to but I was trying to please what I thought were societal expectations. He made my life a misery.

Some of these stories are very sad

Mine is quite trivial. I only ever wanted to be a teacher, and regret that I didn't pursue that

I wish I'd stayed on at school and then gone to uni.
Then I wish I'd have travelled instead of tying myself to my ExH.
Although I don't regret that as I loved him and have my gorgeous DD.
But my biggest regret is ever taking back an ExP.
So many red flags and still I took him back.
Still feel like such a twat. The things I uncovered about him..... Just wow!

MrsTerryPratchett, I was thinking about the trousers of time too.

I'm sorry I didn't become a doctor, but who knows, I could have been in that life thinking wistfully about what this life would have been like.

Lots of things. The main one I think would be not to quit the summer drama school that I got into when I was 15. I'd just got with my first proper boyfriend and wanted to spend all my time with him having sex and watching films when I should have been cementing my friendships (most of which would end the following year) and doing something I really loved. I think it would have changed me.

I’d do everything the same but much faster! Basically I’d be where I am now but five years younger!

Emigrate when I was younger. I’m too old now, and Brexit is terrifying the life out of me 😱

I think mine are small I'm comparison because like many any undos would remove my children so I stead:
Never got a credit card
Not got a dog from a 'rescue' I always wonder if in the right hands she'd have a better chance
Spent less on my wedding, I love my husband and the big wedding wasn't necessary

Save as much money as I possibly could.

I'm sorry I didn't become a doctor, but who knows, I could have been in that life thinking wistfully about what this life would have been like

@Bibliomania - this comment struck a chord with me. I've sometimes wondered how life would have been if I had stayed with my first serious boyfriend, or moved to a different city etc, but it's never even crossed my mind that I might not have been happy as a teacher. Maybe it wouldn't have suited me after all

Been born to different parents.

Not wasted 40 years trying to make myself fit with what my parents wanted me to be as I was so desperate not to disappoint them.

Gone NC years and years ago. Would have saved myself so much pain.

Wish I hadn't married second husband either. I'm divorcing the abusive controlling narcissist currently. I have ds with him, however wish my poor boy hadn't had to witness the terrible things his father did to me. My heart aches thinking of the distress and damage it must have caused him to endure years of that. That's my greatest regret. It never goes away.

Wished I had turned left instead of going straight on.

Had the overwhelming urge when I got to a particular junction to turn left into a village and buy a lottery ticket. Instead I dismissed the gut feeling and went straight on.
FWIW I never do the lottery.

Reading later on that the person who had won the jackpot that weekend had purchased it from the village shop on the Friday evening at about the time I would have been in the village shop had I turned left.

Always listen to your gut.

Actually had the confidence to talk to more people at university. As it is there were people who I wanted to talk to and befriend but the negative voice in my brain just went “nah, they won’t want to be friends with you, you’re too weird, you won’t have anything in common”. I know there’s no rule saying “everyone has to have at least x number of friends” but I would’ve liked more.

for those of you who’ve had really awful experiences. Mine seems somewhat trivial in comparison.

Realised earlier that everybody who was telling me that I was a failure was lying.

Not study history. Me and mine are screwed 😭😭

Have sex with more people

No children.

Not have accepted my current job.

Been braver, taken a secondary school scholarship. Later, been braver, taken the university interview. Feeling ‘not good enough’ has stopped me from being good enough.

I wish I'd not suggested the new jogging route that my late wife took on the night she was hit by the car.

I regret overlooking the good looking housemate who I knew was interested in me at uni. I thought he was boring and sensible for actually being interested in the course he was studying. I now realise that I had my head stuck up my arse and we actually would have made a good couple.
Ah well, I wouldn't have the children I have now so I'm glad I can't go back in time and inform past me of this regret. she wouldn't have listened anyway

Saved my virginity for the man that I loved.

I should have swiped left.

So many things!

I wouldn’t have agreed to catch in my mate’s horse. The accident robbed all my confidence, I can’t go in the field anymore and I wouldn’t have put so much weight back on after the ridiculous amount of work I did to get rid of it.

I wouldn’t have left my job 3 years ago. I’m an idiot for doing that. I haven’t been happy since.