If you could do one thing over

Im not talking about something life-altering. I am talking about a miniscule thing in your life that you still reflect on years later...but it still bugs you a bit.

For me....we just got back from Saudi Arabia in 1992 and a friend and I were heading from Georgia to Ohio for some leave. It was near enuff Christmas and we were in northern Georgia and it was snowing pretty hard. On the opposite side of I75 we saw a car on fire with a family behind the car. There were several christmas presents sitting in the snow with them as they watched their car burn. I had a pretty sweet 4x4 back then and could have crossed the median and gave some assistance. But I didnt. I kept on driving. There was no danger to life.....i couldnt have put the fire out.....but I didnt stop.

But for some reason I often think about that....26 years ago. Those kids and parents....staring at that fire.......................

a reply to: lakenheath24

On Valentine's day When I was 19 years old , I had dinner reservations with my ex girlfriend.


My close childhood friend had moved to Hartford, about an hour a way.. he called me up and asked me to come chill with him for the night.

I said no I had reservations and I'd come up to Hartford next weekend..

I didn't pick up on the clues.. he had a girlfriend too and they were very serious.. it never struck me..

Next weekend never came for Gary...

He hung himself that night..


If I could change one thing I would have gone to Hartford that night..


........



Respectfully,
~Joe

a reply to: lakenheath24

When I was 23 I had a 40 year old friend that got cancer.

Her name was robin and she remains to this day one of the most beautiful people I have ever known.

She gave up so much of her life to help others it was truly inspiring.

While she was dying of cancer she asked me to come speak with her about something she needed to tell me.
At the time I was going through the worst brake up of my life and because of how emotionally distraught that I was I forgot to go and speak with robin. Two days later she was dead.

I would give anything to be able to go back and be with her in her last day and to see what it was that she wanted to tell me.

Just typing this makes my cry.

Here's a more light heartened one.


When I was 30 a girl I had liked for many years left her boyfriend.

She and I started hanging out and fooling around. We didn't have sex but we made out .

One night she called me up and asked if her and her blonde friend could come "spend the night with me?"

I said of course you can! I will come pick you both up right away.

She asked ," you still remember how to get to my house right?"

I said yes even though I had only been there once...in the dark....while it was raining.

I got lost...I had no phone....

When I got back home after many hours, long after the two girls had given up waiting for me. I had a text message that read.

Where are you? Me and alice are here waiting with our cute panties on.

It hurts just to think about that text.

A few weeks later she moved to another state and got married....I missed my chance.

If only I would have asked her for directions to her house. 8(

Thats harsh. I had a friend attempt it but luckily it was a fail. I missed the signs too. Sild his car.....CD collection. Maybe I ignored it subconsciously. Either wat...it wasnt your fault.

a reply to: Mike Stivic

So sorry to hear that. I hope she was able to make peace. Im sure she did.


a reply to: scraedtosleep

YOU MORON!!!!!!! LOL


a reply to: scraedtosleep

a reply to: lakenheath24

I know!!!!!

It was mid July, 2005. I took a week off work for my wife and I's 1st anniversary. We live in Ohio and had a trip planned to spend the week up at Put-In-Bay. A few days before we went I called and talk to my mom which lived in Alabama. She begged me to come see her as her health was pretty bad.

I stuck to my original plans and told her I would plan a trip down the following month. We go on our trip and the day we came home I received a call from my sister, our bags weren't even out of the car yet. She was on her way to Alabama as my mom was admitted to the hospital because her kidneys had shut down due to a treatment related to a diabetic problem. Out the door, I was on my way to Alabama as well.

She was in the hospital for a month under heavy sedation due to a host of other medical problems.

Long story short, she never was able to come out of sedation and other organs started to fail and she was put on life support. My sister, step father and I had to make the painful decision to remove the life support resulting in her passing.

I never got to talk to her after the phone call.

I wish I would have went to see her instead of going on my trip.

a reply to: lakenheath24

Nothing. I regret nothing. Keep pushing no matter what.

My brother....i know your pain. My mom called one day and we had a weird conversation about if I had anyone to talk to...bout jesus she meant. Next day she uad a massive stroke and i spent the next 6 weeks fighting the hospital to let her go.


She knows you meant well.....god bless........




a reply to: SgtHamsandwich

Good for you. Is that a cop out though? Why else post to an obscure thread?



a reply to: Trueman

While living in Georgia in a house too big for just myself, I sold and moved to a more quaint and comfortable home. My young adult children had moved to other states and left all the animals with me; all of whom I loved very much.

From the beginning, all my cats were spayed and neuterd, had vet appoinements, flea meds. I loved them so much. However, even though our yard was fenced, they always lived inside as well as outside. Sometimes, gone for days but we were in the country and they always came home.

Moving day came and they had been gone for a couple of days. I drove for miles and all roads calling their names; and they were usually together and would come to me. This time they didn't and I had to move. I took my dog, loaded the movng truck and moved 20 miles away. I cried for days and kept driving back to the house and even asking the new owner to please look for them.

After months of heartache, I finally quit. I knew I was killing myself and filled with guilt that I had not made them stay in the house for days before the move but I had so much going on and did it all by myself (with the help of a moving company).

I still miss them. They were so sweet to my dogs and we all loved each other. They slept with me and were my best friends. The guilt of not being more responsble stays with me to this day. A special sadness-and over 20 years ago!

I would have never taken my first drink of alcohol.

a reply to: scraedtosleep

That's a painful lesson- did you learn from it? Hopefully you've never hesitated to ask for directions again! If THAT didn't do it, nothing will.

I had bought my son a Basset Hound (Wilbur)for his 6th Birthday. Wilbur was my other son ❤️
Everyone in our small town knew him and loved him. He just wouldn’t stay home if he was alone.
My sons school was near our home and Wilbur would escape and go visit the kids some days. Other days he would come to our place of business to hang out. He was quite the popular hound.
I had to go on a trip To Oklahoma and he stayed with my now grown son. While I was gone my 16 year old partner in crime, best buddy, and other son passed away.
So if I had it to do over I would have taken him on that trip with me.
RIP WILBUR

a reply to: lakenheath24

I would invite my friend to go on an out of country trip for 6 months and she would still be alive or at least i would have liked to not just say see you later and never see her again.

We just went on our own ways and messaged on the phone for a while but never called or make a video call and she passed 4 months later. Maybe at least would have been nice to call or video call instead of just dumb messages, we grew a bit apart in those months because we never were on the same time zone so when she was sleeping it was day for me.

I knew she wanted to go with us but i just didn't made enough effort to make it happen, i was a bit selfish and didn't care enough

A friend of my girlfriend at the time about 30 years ago got pregnant to a football jock and had an abortion in a hotel,I and my girlfriend went along as moral support,now older and wiser I wish I had stood up for the unborn child,not that it would of changed anything but it is a stain on my conscience.

a reply to: KansasGirl

I am religious with using my gps now. lol

a reply to: lakenheath24
The feelings and thoughts you have today are what I believe to be called a "catalyst." Perhaps you are holding on to those thought as you still have work to do with them...Bringing them to the forefront of your consciousness may culminate into acts of kindness, such as volunteering, community service, helping another in any way and so forth..JMO. Good luck.