The Road Less Taken I have looked back at the events in my life. The brief time of military service, my education or lack of one, the pretty girl I married, my career, hers, kids, the long, long haul of this job, then that one. The brief periods of unemployment, retirement and now, here we are looking back. But what if? What if we had taken the road less taken. How would our lives have turned out? We have no idea. Because this road, this life is all we know. But suppose we could go back, knowing what we know, and live that life over. How would it go. What would you do differently? You want to take a stab at saying, maybe you know some things you wouldn't do. Sound off. I'm giving it some thought myself.
In my life, I was never very concerned about a career and made changes based on things like becoming bored with what I was doing and wanting to do something different. I can think of all sorts of things that I probably should have done differently, such as going on to college immediately after high school rather than hitchhiking around the country for a year or two. Marrying earlier and raising a few kids is something I think I would have liked, I suppose. Staying on as program chairman of the EMT program at Texas State College would have been the sensible thing since it paid very well, had great benefits, and it's darned difficult to get fired from a college position. Instead, I wanted to try my hand at programming, and later bought into an ambulance company, which was fun but hand-to-mouth. Nevertheless, despite all this, anything that I might have changed along my way would have changed everything that came afterward, and I love my wife and I'm pretty happy with my life.
The only thing I can see to be unhappy with about one's life is the shortness of it evident as a Senior. Frank
I would change 'everything' My path would have been very different, the only thing I'd keep is my Husband and foster parents and from that point on, I should have created my 'own' path
Many times in my life I took the road less traveled and followed my heart instead of my head too. Yet I believe even with the detours I took along the way I still ended up exactly where I am supposed to be. The one thing I might have done differently is have stayed with my job with Social Security instead of quitting it because I found typing those SS numbers on the cards boring. It was an entrance job but I had the ability to move on up to bigger and better jobs there...and if I would have stayed a much better retirement package and income now.
I would have spent more time on making myself happier and richer than worrying about making everyone else happier,comfortable and richer
Well, any different path that I could or would have taken would mean I didn't meet my husband and not had my two wonderful children. And even though I might have had other children, I think I hit the jackpot with the two I had. They were good kids growing up and are awesome adults! A different path would have kept me in Pittsburgh and my husband was in Chicago at that time.
I love my daughter...so I'd have to wait until she was born , but from then on, I'd change the roads in which I travelled for more smoother and better signposted ones...
Which at the time was the wrong path. If I had stayed in college I'd probably still be in Pittsburgh, PA....well, maybe. My parents were very upset with me.
I took alot of detours along the way of my life which brought some sorrow along with joy...but in the end I ended up exactly where I'm supposed to be and a stronger and I hope wiser person for those detours too.
@Chrissy Cross Given the grief I must have caused my own parents, I've often wondered how other parents dealt with the degree of rebelliousness mine were faced with. Such considerations, coming about quite early as this teen-ager experimented with dangerous high-voltage devices and explosives, may very well guided my decision-making along the way to rule out raising a child of my own. I KNEW deep down that my folks were chagrined that I would delve into such pursuits. Yet, they understood, I think, that my inquisitive nature was responsible for it all, and likely hoped that all the science and technical information involved would lead me to a bright future as a productive adult. It did, I believe. Now, in my old age, I yearn to return to those days of yesteryear......... Frank
@Babs Hunt Might you be of a mind to describe a bit, those detours along your way of life? Sorry if I'm a bit too intrusive. Just curious and wondering what sort of "wrong turns" others may have taken. Many of my own may not be presented here, for fear of loathing & disgust on the part of the reader. Frank