The Good Morning Starshine video reminded me of good times '65 to '75

If I had to lose what I have today to regain what I had in my youth, I wouldn’t do it.

quote:

Originally posted by darthfuster:
If I had to lose what I have today to regain what I had in my youth, I wouldn’t do it.

That sums up my thoughts as well. I certainly miss some things, but my life is richer by far overall.

All mentally healthy people miss their youth. It's rough, because the past is frozen and unreachable. "You don't know what you've got until it's gone" was never truer than when referring to our youth.

Harry Dean Stanton said that regret is a form of suffering, so he had no regrets, otherwise he'd have a lot of them.

Nostalgia can be classed the same way, I suppose, except that it best takes the form of appreciating what you were, what you did, and the people you knew and realizing you are richer for all of it, despite the loss.

When I can look life in the eyes, grown calm and very coldly wise, life will have given me the truth, and taken in exchange - my youth.
Sara Teasdale

Time seems to take the rough edges off memories. While traveling I drove by my old high school - and went inside. I remembered a lot of it. But once I was there I didn’t remember the good but all the bad stuff I had suppressed came back. All the teachers I had back in ‘75 to ‘77 had passed.

The rooms were the same. People were different. It almost looked like a prison building. All I remembered was being beaten up 3 days a week.

You cannot go home.

The best way to get beyond the regrets of the past is to avoid making any new ones in the past.

Not so much a "bucket list", but say "yes" to more opportunities to experience meaningful things than saying "no".

It might seem like a simple and trite, but it is not.

I had a good time in high school. I was young and stupid, but didn't make any major life-altering mistakes and took advantage of a lot of opportunities that I'd never have again. And I had a lot of fun. Sure, there are a few things that I wish I'd done differently, but ultimately I ended up where I'm at and I wouldn't do anything to change that.

I went to HS overseas with a bunch of other ex-pat kids, so everybody is now scattered around the world. I lost touch with everybody when I dumped Facebook about 10 years ago, but if somebody put together some kind of reunion I'd try to attend. I'm sure everything and everyone has changed a lot, but it would be fun to go back and visit the old places, catch up, and see where everybody's at.

I still try to take advantage of the opportunities that come along. Life is short. Don't sweat the small stuff. Keep your problems in perspective. Enjoy the ride.

A few years ago one of the events leading up to my 50th H.S. class reunion was a Saturday tour of the high school. I didn’t care enough to attend either the reunion or the tour. I lost nothing in either case.

In 1990 I was working full time in my chosen line of work, at that point twenty years. Also, I was working in physical inventories of GM dealership parts department inventories on weekends. One weekend we were tasked with one in Detroit that closed after the death and GM’s subsequent takeover trying to find a buyer for it as at that time there was a push for both minority owned and urban dealership locations, this was the last Pontiac dealership in the city.

When I worked there it was under a different owner, 1971-72. While working there I found upstairs in a corne some old linen postcards of when the dealership opened in 1946, looked the same in 71. Well, I walked in, the place looked the same, same color paint on the service department walls, same chalkboard hanging from the ceiling with pricing, basic time capsule but dingier. I was assigned to look in places around the building for parts to be inventoried, found some things squirreled away in places that others might have missed. Found on the wall where others and myself had years before put our initials and the dates, mine from May ‘71 to May ‘72

Kind of sad. Building was demo’ed about six months later for a grocery store, demo’ed again, now a strip mall probably including a pot shop, a cell phone store and of course a party store. Haven’t been in that area since.

I definitely miss my youth- Being fearless, indestructible, not worrying about the future and taking risks for the adventure.

I also truly appreciate my seniority now. The things I learned in my youth. I wouldn’t change a thing since the route I followed led me to where I am today.

I never had a plan or actual goals, just followed my luck and accepted life as fate dished it out.

I could share a lot of advice if anyone listened. To someone young I’d say- "Live it while you got it".

The only way I'd do it over is if I could retain my current knowledge of mistakes made and opportunities missed (not "book larnin'") and start again around 8 years of age.

Usual stuff: Study harder (or at all, honestly) spend less, save/invest more. My childhood was pleasant, school was tolerable so nothing much to change there.

Of course, I'd just make a whole series of NEW mistakes...

quote:

Originally posted by braillediver:
I never had a plan or actual goals, just followed my luck and accepted life as fate dished it out.

Describes me to a "T". Incredibly lucky, things could have just as easily turned out disastrously.

I'm not sure I would change much of anything, except to trade in the old body for a new one.

As PHPaul said, if I were to go back and know what I know now, I would likely make other mistakes instead.

I am in a pretty good place now, why screw it up.

Had a Drs appt earlier in the week to meet my new cardiac oncologist. This high school looking kid walks in and says, "Hi, I'm Dr So & so."

"How long have you been in practice?" I asked.

"16 years"...Damn, I'm getting old.

Innocence lost.

Anytime I think of my youth (50s and 60s) I remember something David said, Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness' sake, O LORD. Psalms 25:7.

If I had to choose between then and now, I choose now.

As far as regrets, like most of us, I have many. But then I remind myself of something the Apostle Paul said, Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended (perfection, preceding verse): but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13,14.

I am grateful to the Good Lord for every day that I have had. I have made some stupid mistakes in my past but am glad for where I am now and am enjoying life more. I have been blessed with a loving wife and things are only getting better between us. My kids are grown and are able to take care of themselves and I have been fortunate to see them grow up. Most importantly, my salvation through Jesus and my relationship with God is better now and only growing. This life goes by too quick to worry about past things, I look forward to whatever time God gives me and knowing I will have an eternity with Him. Each day is a gift.