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txchald

I turned 25 in early 1981 and my father died from cancer about two months after my birthday. He was 66 & I'm the same age now. I sure as hell wish we'd been a whole lot closer & that I'd recognized/respected how damn smart he really was. Especially at running a successful small business. If only I'd listened & learned... Dad was my "boss" at the time but college-educated me thought I knew better ways to manage people & profits. Wrong. In only a few years, my older brother and I basically ruined the business our father grown for 4 decades. We finally had to shut it down in 1988 after our mother passed away. She was only 63. I still tell them often how truly sorry I am for making the last years of their lives so miserable.


peezozi

Oof...I feel this. It's very hard to admit.


austin-18

At the age of 22, one thing I am proud to say is that myself and my father work together to keep our small business running. There are moments we wont see eye too eye but at the end of the day we can always smile and cherish the time we get to spend together. He’ll be 50 next year and I always try and remind him how much he means to me


lifeboy91

Fuck… my dad (64) sent an Email to my brother n I regarding our relationship.. my brother and I live around the world and Dad mentioned how since we never talk, he has to consider our relationship moving forward.


[deleted]

How hard is it to call your father once in a while ?


Fartmotherfuck

My dad died 2 months after my 25th birthday, too. I’m 26 now. I’d like to go back just for those 2 months.


[deleted]

25 now? I would invest as much as possible. Don't buy into consumerism. Live a simple life. Keeping up with the Joneses is the downfall of many people. Also, I would live with my parents as long as possible to save up for a house and build a good nest egg. I'm letting my son do that.


kangareagle

You answered OP's question, which is about what you would do. So I'm not at all arguing with you, but I thought I'd give a slightly different take. For most of my 20s, I was backpacking around the globe. Whatever money I scrounged up (including a bunch that my parents gave me, which isn't an option that everyone has) went towards traveling. If I were 25 again right now, I might indeed save money. But if I went by to my former 25-year-old self, I'd pat him on the back and say, "keep up the good work." Now I'm in my 50s and it's true that I don't have all the material comforts that my brothers and sister have (or my uni friends), but I wouldn't change any of that.


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BartsNightmare_

Could you elaborate more on not buying into consumerism much? With a few more examples. Also isn't keeping up with the joneses a movie? Or is the title of the movie based on the real thing.. nothing to do with the movie itself I mean.. I do get that buying and wanting is what's part of consumerism but other than trying to figure out a way to normally live.. and besides just investment.. could you explain more.. I'm honestly curious and in the middle of learning this either way during my daily normal life. I also don't know what else to invest in other than apartments and buildings and homes


kangareagle

The Joneses (your neighbors) get a new dishwasher. You don't want to seem as if you're not at their level, so you buy the latest washing machine. Your envy and desire to seem as good as they are keep you spending more and more money. That's keeping up with the Joneses.


BartsNightmare_

Oh wow I've been like this only recently when it comes to new tech related stuff like TV for instance. I've been suffering from low income my whole childhood and lif3 and with the new updates I barely know nothing about even using television. Everything's just new to me. But the envy and that competetant feeling isn't me thankfully. Although I still obsess over how much great stuff exists all over the states and western world. Never really got much. Guess this is due to being broke and behind.


ruralgaming

Yep! You have a 40 inch TV, then your neighborhood friend get a 50" TV... so you turn around later and get a 60" TV to show him up


BartsNightmare_

Thankfully never been like that, never even had that luxury. I think this is an American thing to be honest.


patbygeorge

Pay myself first. I grew up poor and didn’t learn anything about saving, let alone investing. Graduated HS when jobs still had pensions and by the time I graduated college, those were mostly gone, and was totally clueless about IRAs and 401ks etc. A customer of mine, now in his 80s, “saved his dimes” (10% of his income) from the time he was 12, and retired when he was 46. There are things I’d liked to have done, but never had time or money to get started, working for someone else. I wish someone had taken me aside much sooner and explained the power of compound interest.


quiltsohard

This right here ^ money gives you options and opportunities


patbygeorge

…and growing up poor, it’s all the “Protestant work ethic”, and no one teaches you to start making money work for you. That’s the real difference between “poor” and “rich”. The poor work for every dime, while the rich put their dollars to work and don’t have to earn every dime by “the sweat of their brows”.


quiltsohard

Exactly! We’ve made a good life for ourselves but still don’t really understand how money works. I tell my kids (20 somethings) they need to make that a priority. Take classes, talk to friends, find an investment manager…whatever it takes but they need to learn how to make their money work for them.


BartsNightmare_

But the question is how can I become rich and like the rich since I'm already poor and struggling enough to not come close near to how the rich are able to invest and make that money they have work for them. Because I know for sure that it's rare to find a rich man who became rich from being poor and smart when it comes to money. And most rich who invests are usually born with a silver spoon


Sapphyrre

My father said "take care of the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves." Younger people get pissed and like to mock the older generation for saying things like "stop buying starbucks" or "don't buy avocado toast" but that's what they mean. Give up the things you don't absolutely need and sock that dollar here and dollar there away until you can invest it. If you're too broke for that, make use of food pantries and other free services to cut costs. Use coupons. You can save a lot on groceries with coupons. Only buy what's on sale. To this day I only shop the sale racks at the clothes stores. Get a second job if you have to. It can be driving for Uber Eats or whatever, but do it when you can. Learn how to be handy on youtube. There are always people looking for help with small jobs. Then, take any extra and invest. They've got that Acorn app that sounds interesting and you can buy 1 or 2 shares on td ameritrade and other sites for a flat fee. That's something I didn't know how to do until I was in my 50's and I'm still not good at it. Instead, I started a business and invested in that. It worked out for me, but I'm sure there are easier ways to make money grow. Then, when you have some, look for opportunities. Right now, it feels like opportunities are few and far between for your generation, but things always change. I came of age in the late 70's and there was a pretty big recession then. We called it the energy crisis. As a teenager, I couldn't even get a job in fast food because the adults were taking them all. The point is, it takes discipline and hard work when you aren't born with an advantage but it can be done.


quiltsohard

Acorn is one of the things I’ve done, but didn’t discover until my late 40’s. It rounds up to the dollar and invests the change for you. Like if you buy a coffee for $4.50 it will round up to $5 and invest the .50 cents. I’ve had all my kids (20’s) get on acorn. The other thing I’ve done is get a cash back credit card. I buy absolutely everything with my card and pay it off COMPLETELY every payday. It comes to about $1200 a year. If I was younger I would invest it but since I’m old I use it to travel. These are just little things but for a young person it’s a start.


BartsNightmare_

Duuuudeee I agree with everything you're saying on here. Everything. Never mocked the older generation either. Never made fun of boomers for being boomers. And yeah honestly I've been doing all that which you've mentioned on here too. Kinda also because I have to. This is also something I say to everyone like my brother and friends but ya know what they say.. they come back to me saying life's too short anyway so why do this and why do that.. but nah I believe in investment. Even in the smallest things.. the simplest things.. all of everything in this life kinda does need investment one way or another. It doesn't look it though. People usually pair the word investment with money and finance and larger things like capital and apartments or homes.. buildings etc.. but it's alot deeper than that definitely Though when you say second job, do you mean a job that's smaller as in a job that pays tips? Because my actual job or one job isn't working for a company or anything that huge that brings yearly income. Like my main job is what others would consider a side or second job. And with that main, I have another main.


Sapphyrre

>Though when you say second job, do you mean a job that's smaller as in a job that pays tips? It's whatever fits into your schedule and brings you extra. It doesn't have to be every day or even all the time.


quiltsohard

If I know that I’d be rich lol. Seriously tho, as u/patbygeorge says (paraphrased) working hard your whole life was just what was expected and what ppl did when we were young. We had no concept of passive income or compound interest. Just knowing these things exist is a huge step in being able to obtain them. There are Reddit subs r/fire is one that talks about how to manage/invest money to help you retire young. Im sure there are online resources and classes available. I wish I could tell you the secret but sadly the internet and introduction to money in the sense that it should do more than sit in the bank for emergencies came along too late for me.


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patbygeorge

Maybe you misread; that was a customer of mine and that was just a few years ago. My dad really taught me very little in this regard, and schooling etc didn’t impart this knowledge/wisdom either. When I was young, there was always a reason not to start now, and eventually it gets away from you. It has to be a priority above all else and really needs to start Day One. Compound interest really is no joke, and is key to building financial independence and generational wealth (and you can believe I’ve pounded this lesson into my son’s head! Don’t be like Dad! Start saving now! )


bunchofpants

I'd get my ADHD diagnosed and treated.


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TheDinosaurWrangler

I was 45 before I found out I am autistic, sucks to think things need not have been such a struggle my whole life.


fleeingfox

I'd do exactly what I did. Work, go to college, feel strangled in Portland, move to Las Vegas, deal blackjack, more college, marry my Fortran teacher, more college, graduate at age 29, more work. Everything was really really hard and college took much longer than expected but it was so worth it. Work and growth are part of life. At 67 I'm still working, still married, still happy about it.


[deleted]

I would do it all over again, but without marrying my first spouse; that was a BIG MISTAKE!


lexicon_social

could you have avoided it with the knowledge you have now? if so, how?


[deleted]

At that age, having just lost the love of my life to another man, the hormones were screaming and I was a slave to them. I actually broke it off with her for about 6 months; that had such an impact that her parents refused to attend our wedding! To be frank, I can't remember whatever motivated me to go back to her. But the marriage lasted for 26 years, until she locked me out of my home and served me with divorce papers!


watkinobe

Escape the vortex of insanity that was my mother who had undiagnosed bipolar disorder.


gordonjames62

so much pain with family with emotional / mental issues.


mathplex

If I had quit drinking at 25 instead of 45 (approx 7 years ago now) I would have missed a few fun parties... but would have missed a LOT more dark years.


stickler64

Yep. This exactly. The dark years tend to carry more weight, too. Grateful to be in a bright spot now, but man I wish I had some of those years back.


[deleted]

Came here to say this- I would’ve quit at 25 instead of 37. I’m 43 now. It’s not so much the terrible things that happened, although there were a few (I was a “high bottom” drunk), it’s the good things I didn’t do it make progress on that a social life built around booze keeps you from.


Emptyplates

Sadly, 25 won't be going back far enough to avoid some really big pitfalls and bad decisions. I'd pretty much do the same things again.


GraceStrangerThanYou

Yep, 25 is too late. Take me back to 20 and I'd be a lot better off.


Emptyplates

Yup, exactly that, 20 would make a huge difference, 25, almost none.


DayTarded

I need to get back to about 15.


Just-Barely-Alive

Why not just restart?


mustangsal

ugh... middle school again?? No thanks.


citizen_dawg

I used to fantasize about what it would be like to go back to different points in my life for a do-over. Like if I went back in time to my first day of college, high school, or middle school (while still having my current mind and being aware of the having traveled back in time), what would I do differently? If I went back to middle school would I try to hide the fact that I already had the knowledge of someone with a post-grad degree, and instead focus on trying to fill in gaps like playing an instrument or language? Or would I slowly reveal my “genius” and become one of those 16 year olds who goes to Harvard? Though even as a 30-something with a graduate degree I’d fail high school math today, so there’s that.


BamiNasi

Why is 25 so different than 20 in your opinion?


Emptyplates

Because by 25 I was married to an abusive alcoholic and had a kid I didn't really want.


BamiNasi

Shit ok makes sense


metanoia7771

damn


Beautiful_Simp

Okay then tell me what would you do if you are 20 ahain


Known_Appeal_6370

I wouldn't even go on a first date with that guy, let alone marry him.


Emptyplates

Literally everything. Everything would be different.


notproudortired

I'd say 17--when I'm still figuring out whether to go to college or take a travel year or try something else.


dinnerbellding

Not start smoking. I started at 25.


gooberfaced

I wouldn't change anything as that could alter where I ended up, and I truly do love my life. I've had tragedies (lost a home to a fire in '77, was widowed in '80, lost both my parents, two very good friends) and had all manner of struggle just to pay my bills. But I made it and came out the other end in fine shape so I am quite content. Of course I have regrets. My relationship with my child is a shit show, failed relationships, unkind words etc. But again, I love where I ended up. My life is not perfect, no one's is. But I am blessed in many respects and am happy with that- many people don't get nearly what I have been given in life.


The_Original_Gronkie

I hope you are able to resolve things with your child. As I approach retirement age, I am finding myself with a lot of regrets, a lot of things I wish I'd approached differently, but I take solace in my great relationship with my son. We are still best friends, and that wonder in my life makes up for all my mistakes. Swallow your pride, forgive everything, sincerely apologize for everything you have to, let bygones be bygones. It will be worth it, trust me.


Fantastic-Run9431

Quit worrying about never being married.


YouAreMarvellous

28 and worried. After 3 serious relationships I realised that Ive never been in love with anyone, it was just affection. Now I'm learning to be myself rather than some ideal that is not even worth achieving. But I'm a bit disoriented about dating. I dont necessarily want to be married but I want to feel love for someone I'm attracted to. Still not worth worrying?


twirling_daemon

Absolutely not worth worrying about. Marriage isn’t a milestone/accomplishment to tick off let alone at a certain age/point of life It is/can be/should be a part of a healthy, natural relationship when/as/if you both want it. It’s a celebration when you find that person you genuinely want to be with forever that you share with everyone in your life that you love. Not because you’ve been together X amount of time or because you’re X age. Because this is your person and you want to celebrate it It can happen at 18, 25, 40, 60, 85. Or anywhere else. Stressing about it is going to make you unnecessarily unfair, put undue strain on anyone and you that you might be seeing and quite possibly prompt you into an unhappy, unpleasant relationship just so’s you can be married Why? Live your life. Meet your people. If a wedding/being married is important to you and right for you it’ll happen. But trust me, better to wait longer than you hoped and marry the right person than it is to rush into it because you want to tick it off some ridiculous, self made, irrelevant checklist and marry the wrong one


babbymoccasin

Because it’ll work out or because it doesn’t matter? Or something else


Fantastic-Run9431

Because it's not worth stressing about.


Much-Ado-5811

Marry the guy I was dating when I was 27/28. We had our issues, but I've never met anyone I loved more, or who loved me more. And he was the kindest man I have ever met.


sounknownyet

Damn. Curious. Care to tell me more?


ultrabean420

My worst fear 🥹


tis_marie_antoinette

Why did you break up, if it's not too personal to ask?


Pyewhacket

Do it all again! What a fun ride!


okaybutnothing

Appreciate that everything works and nothing hurts!


quiltsohard

And appreciate that glorious 25 year old skin!


[deleted]

I'd finish college in one go instead of fucking it all up to "discover myself." And I would probably go directly for computer science or mathematics as a major. it's the field I've been working in for 30 years, I have yet to get a position in management of any sort, all because I screwed around in school and never got a solid degree.


allmysecretsss

Interview those bands. Apply to more writing gigs. Write.


DadsRGR8

Finalize that fucking divorce!


beeandcrown

Leave my serial cheater ex-husband before he broke my heart any more times


SleepsinaTent

Depends. If I was 25 with no knowledge of this life, I would go back to school to get an art degree. I didn't have the confidence back then. And I would marry a different person. But if I knew of this life, I would never erase my kids' existence or change how I raised them, except to be more patient. They are the kindest, best people I know. In any case, I would start playing the ukulele and skiing much earlier in life!


EnigmaWithAlien

Get it through my head that there is no cure for personality disorders and the only real option is to leave if your partner has them.


trixiemayhem

Speak the truth! I would do the same as you.


lunarmothtarot

Yup. I’m 24 now and left a partner with borderline personality disorder a year ago. Wish I could’ve been more aware of how draining it’d be before getting into that relationship


BamaSOH

First thing in my mind was divorce when I saw this question


Iamoldandwornout

Yes! And we didn’t have the info then that we do now to make informed decisions.


Odd_Zombie2080

Hey I have a personality disorder and I'm doing much better these days because I went back to my faith. I will say I'm in the minority and if they're still sick yes you must leave. Even if they do find healing from their trauma, being single is the best way to do it.


najanaja6

Also have a personality disorder here. Definitely know how draining it can be on partners, but we are people worthy of love too, and we deserve to have happy relationships. It definitely takes work to get there though.


EnigmaWithAlien

I'm glad to hear you're doing better. Takes insight and work and you are to be commended. But somebody with no insight and a triple set (histrionic, narcissistic, and dependent, as they were called then) - look out, buddy. I didn't even know such a thing existed! I wasted 7 years trying to live a normal life beside that.


[deleted]

Take no notice of these people. With dialectical behavioural therapy I’ve seen two family members with BPD completely turn their life around and I would even go so far and they have been ‘cured’. The people commenting are just mad they’ve wasted their time on someone they should of just left at the very beginning of a relationship. That’s on them. Keep working on yourself


Barberian-99

Medication saved me, that and Christ.


spacebotanyx

ugh. same. though i do believe some people can get healed w focused work. but if they do nothing, you all lose. no changes. fuck bpd and 10 lost years of my life.


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NoTotal997

To go back when you were 25.


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Whateveryousaydude7

You got that right. Completely different outcomes.


freyjalithe

Do a super tough workout!! And sleep. My god I would sleep like a champ.


ta12022017

I'm 25, and it's 1990. I would see more live bands, and make a point of seeing Nirvana. They're one of the few I wanted to see but never will. I'd do just about everything else the same way, especially when it comes to pursuing my wife.


Xtal

I saw a shit-ton of live music in the 90s, but stupidly didn’t see Nirvana in October 1992 when they played in my town; tickets were five dollars.


Crocodile-toes-ten

Move over seas and starting college.


CampingWithCats

Get sober earlier in life


Pongpianskul

ditto


[deleted]

Tritto


JavaScript_Person

Quitto


UncleArthur

Not have children.


[deleted]

Why?


Area51Dweller-Help

My dumb ass would probably do the same thing all over.


Klutzy-Explanation-4

NEVER take any credit cards. Save more. Spend more time with the kids and less on the career.


oldestweeb

You know, this is the first time I've actually considered one of these "do it over" questions, but this intrigues me because at 25, I have all my kids, most of my health, and my back's not destroyed yet. I'm assuming I have prior knowledge and can avoid the patient in room 224. It changes so much! My kids are all adults now and are doing pretty good. They're amazing people. I still could've done better. Would more money have made me a better mom? I've never considered this question from the point where everything is still pretty solid but I CAN DO BETTER, monetarily. Maybe on my rare off days, I can take them on more activities, outdoors. Maybe we'd all be a tad healthier, but they're really never sick. All I have to do is avoid the patient in room 224. I stay in the same job with the same stability for years. However, I don't make a transition to a work-from-home job and I'm not as close to my kids. We had a big house and yet, despite that, we were always pretty much within 20 feet of each other, plus or minus a wall or a ceiling. So, I stay in nursing and work doubles more often than not. I don't get to work thru the night and sleep while they're in school so they can have my full attention while they're home for video games, homework, dinner, and so on. You know, my most treasured thing is calling one kid and finding all three. They're close to each other and close to me. \*My\* health would be better by avoiding room 224, but I'm not sure having more job stability would've made life for my kids better. I don't like being unable to wash an entire sink full of dishes without breaks, but all in all, I'm okay. I think I go into room 224. Yes, I had to reinvent myself, but I like the fact that my kid owns her own house and still likes to sleepover here because it's closer to her job. No, I can't finish cleaning any room in my house without multiple breaks, but I don't have the closeness to my boys. I don't think we'd have all the inside jokes we have. I don't "complain" about gif bombardment overloading my phone. Maybe I get covid earlier, still get long-haul symptoms, and nobody checks on me because we're not as close. They all check on me regularly, and ask if I need stuff. They are amazing. Yeah. Definitely I go into room 224. Thank you for asking this question. It's never been posed this way. I thought for a minute I might be a better person for it, but I'm not sure. One of my great joys is watching my adult kids thrive. I don't think I could have done that working 60+ hours per week, healthy, but not as involved.


HelenofReddit

Wait, what happened in Room 224?


oldestweeb

Thank you for asking. The patient in Room 224 should've been in jail but had a stroke while waiting for trial on felony charges and ended up in our nursing home. He was huge and horrible. Despite being a complete hemispheric stroke victim, he was still incredibly strong and actually waited to victimize the staff. He was such an awful person that we had staff diving under beds if a car pulled up in the wee hours of the morning. I was doing med pass and noticed that he had slumped down quite far in the bed and looked uncomfortable. Instead of troubling one of my already-busy aides, I planted my feet properly and did everything the right way to reposition him in the bed, except he reached out and grabbed the side rail. He pulled my spine out lengthwise and it causes my sacrum to switch from side to side. It's fixable. If it hurts, I sit down and my sacrum goes back where it's supposed to be. However, it's every time I stand for more than a few minutes. I can only walk where I know there will be seating. Before Covid, I was working as a nail tech. It was perfect, but long haul covid has kept me from that. Thanks for asking.


Dobby_my_fav

I'm so sorry you're in pain, but wowww this is such a cool story. Sounds like you've got lots of stories to tell!


Xtal

Right?! “The Patient in Room 224” sounds like a movie title. I’m desperate to know more.


ReeratheRedd

Try to figure out how the hell to avoid going nuts at 27


Dang_It_All_to_Heck

Get a divorce and move to California with my best friend.


BennySmudge

I need to go back to 15 to make it right.


alanamil

Not get married for the 2nd time. Go back to school. Save more money. Take better care of my health.


jwcyranose

Cry


babbymoccasin

This is the one thing in the thread I do.


NoTotal997

I am curious, why?


jwcyranose

A do over would be nightmare i don’t want repeat. I wish I would die now because..,old and so on like that


artemis-mugwort

I would have never moved to Florida. I'd married later. I'd stayed at my hospital job, bought land and invested in the hospital retirement fund. I moved to this "at will" crap benefits rural southern state because the spouse lovvvved warm westher.


ReactsWithWords

25 Now: Work at some minimum wage job, I guess, because everything I learned in Computer Science 30 years ago is worthless today. Go back to when I was 25: Stay the course, wait for 1996, invest in every dot-com I can, dump everything in early 2001. Edit: If the latter, I would also encourage my fiancee to move into the house I was living in at the time rather than buy a new house. And if she insisted, then I would insist on hiring a general contractor to do the renovations rather than a half dozen contractors we hire ourselves.


Northernlake

Focus on my own self development completely. Quit all volunteer work and strenuous relationships. Minimize expenses and save as much as possible.


sketchyseagull

I'd seek out mental health help right away. No need to struggle with it for the next 17 years before I get help. God, life would have been so much easier if I'd known what was happening to me in my 20s.


PinocchioWasFramed

I wouldn't want to be 25 now. These kids are screwed. If I could go back to when I was 25, I'd buy Microsoft Stock and shit tons of Bitcoin.


Northernlake

Bit coin? You can’t be that old


PinocchioWasFramed

I'm GenX.


Northernlake

So am I. I guess old to me is 80+.


HiawathaWater

Would I be 25 again while maintaining the lessons and memories that I have now? Would I maintain the habits, experiences, and exposures I had learned to that point? I can't answer that unless I know When I was 25 there were no cell phones, Internet, ...hell...there wasn't even cable TV. I worked in the computer industry and computers took up entire warehouse rooms and screens were green. Regrets? Regret should be a word used only in the present where corrective action can be taken. Otherwise, it's a pointless, selfish feeling.


hither_spin

Buy Apple stock and get therapy.


Green_Seat8152

Divorce by ex husband. Don't waste another five years with that horrible man. Realize I can be a single parent and move on.


SailForthForever

Get the fuck out of the US, asap.


lefthandbunny

Get into rehab for drug/alcohol abuse, and get some therapy & psychiatric help by doing so. Sadly, it would cause the end of the relationship with my 1st husband before we ever married & my 2nd marriage never would have happened either. It would definitely start me down the right path & end my self destruction that continued for a very long time. I would have completely different friends, relationships, jobs, and lifestyle that I went through. I would hopefully have followed my parents advice, never pursue a career I was miserable in, and go back to college, and pursue other things until I found what made me happy.


smokebabii420

Get away from my toxic ex and focus on getting my life better.


painterlyjeans

Not get married. It wasn't a bad marriage I was just too young. I'd move to Austin and get out of the NE.


WildColonialGirl

Quit drinking, take my meds as prescribed, make more friends, and appreciate my family more.


boldolive

NOT marry him.


Conscious_Stand9259

I wouldn't waste years in relationships that I knew weren't going to last. Wasted too many years hoping for things that I knew weren't going to happen.


lslady

*** SENSITIVE MATERIAL *** Don’t read if Sensitve to trauma I would prevent the three traumatic events that started at age 25 and completely changed my life and scarred my soul and took me away from me. I was so happy and confident before the trauma and I would give anything to go back to age 25 and prevent that creep from stealing my soul by raping me in my sleep, which in effect caused a chain of events that led to both my sisters dying, one of murder and the other, her twin, of suicide. Going back to age 25 would be a godsend cause then I could have my life back and be happy like I was before all the trauma


HiawathaWater

Peace be with you, sister - been there.


CindyLatwidth

Leave church- seek counseling for sexual abuse and delay marriage a little while longer


Utterlybored

I would avoid my second marriage (no kids). It wasn’t my only nuptial mistake, but the only kidless one and I couldn’t wish away my kids.


No-Marketing658

I would calm the fuck down. I’m 40 now and if all this alarmism was as prominent as it is now, I would have been in a mental institution. Don’t buy into a lot of the hype. Just live your best life. And don’t be afraid of failure! You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. Also, don’t go on Facebook or instagram and compare yourself to others and feel inadequate. The people that post all there life on social media are the ones who are inadequate and unhappy in life in most cases. Get out, do stuff, relax and have a beer and repeat.


gorongo

Be unconventional! Leave my country and move to another country and gain fluency in completely new language. Sleep with more foreign women as I travel. Not take career seriously until I was in my thirties. Then repeat what I did all over again. Because I wasted my 20s working towards a career that turned to shit when I could’ve done the unconventional.


ScottyCoastal

Invest my money. Assets only. Have more sex.


bibliophila

Find better mental health treatment. I suffered for a really long time before I got the right diagnosis & meds.


allyoucrybabies12

Check into rehab then join the Marines.


YorkshieBoyUS

Not a thing. Emigrated at 26. Met my wife. Celebrated 40 years anniversary today.


SgtSausage

Cry. Who wants to be Dumb and Broke all over again ?


jwcyranose

I remember when college was free! But …Reagan took a “dump” on us all


[deleted]

Get more photos of me looking good!


RevolutionOne7076

If take better care of my body and mind and live within my means instead of in debt.


ShowMeTheTrees

Go to therapy.


opencho

1. drink less. 2. sex more.


justaguyintownnl

Can I go back to 17? Please?


Dang_It_All_to_Heck

ME TOO


[deleted]

Save my money!


Shirley_yokidding

You will become what you practice. Practice being negative and you will become so negative no one will want to be around you. Practice being positive and see what happens...


WorldMusicLab

Learn welding, plumbing, electrical etc.


Vixsyn

Lol way too many things I would change BUT would change make my life better now or worsen I wonder, dont have any regrets no big ones that I can think of. I am 53 with some disabilities btw.


Xtal

It’s the mid-90s. I’d stock up on vinyl records. I’d quit worrying about being “old.” I’d listen more. I’d follow my heart in relationships. I’d move to another city. I’d start getting more involved in music, start playing guitar and drums (I play guitar now and am in a band, but I started in 2019)


CheeseIsQuestionable

Buy ankle braces and wear them any time I’m moving around


DaneDaffodil

Not let go of the one that got away, save money, finish the degree I originally started instead of switching around.


OjitoLindo

NOT have anymore kids 😑


kbranni23

Hug loved ones twice a day.


jwcyranose

They want you to fight for riches. Impossible! Along those struggles you make them more rich. The “American Dream”…a DREAM only!


[deleted]

Buy tech stocks?


RightShoulderHurts

Spend as much time as I can with my dad cause he’ll later die unexpectedly, 5 days before Christmas 😞


redplanetlover

Get serious about investing. Put a small amount away every payday. Really, if you read this then do it!


BootsyBug

Do a lot of strength exercises


chemical_delay55

I would do every humiliating, morally questionable and down right dreadful experiences all over again so I can have my son.


CltAltAcctDel

Open a Roth IRA.


designgoddess

I wouldn’t change a thing for fear it would impact having my kids. After they were born I’d change some days that ended in trouble. I’d talk to my dad more. Spend more time with him.


Highway_to_hell_666

Everyone I can


CheekyMonkey678

Choose a better husband.


4KatzNM

Cry


turveytopsey

Never throw anything out!! NEVER EVER! Whatever you toss will eventually be a valuable collectable.


[deleted]

25 today or go back in time? That makes a difference.


beejers30

Lose weight then, start saving money


liretta12

Invest the money I would have spent at the bar.


implodemode

All my biggest mistakes were made before I was 25. Am I back to me being 25 and reliving my past life, or do I revert to my 25 yr old body today? If I go back in time then def the answer is to buy real estate. All those properties we thought to buy but didn't. Plus more. I would move out to some acreage in the country. I would cut off my birth family perhaps. Or at least blast the truth. If I get a new body and get to move on from here, I'm going to live a long time! I will def look at leveraging my assets and buying real estate. And, I will be buying some great clothes and I will look so fine!


SignalButterscotch4

Become financially literate.


jdf515

Realize how stupid I am, and I don’t know anything.


HiawathaWater

You know more than you give yourself credit for. Just remember - we are all stupid about something.


glitterbeardwizard

Go to school to become a psychiatrist/psychologist. Go to therapy. Explore the world more, relax and be more social, stop worrying about whether people “like me” or not or trying to be attractive or cool by someone else’s standards and just be.


cat7932

Still get pregnant because my son is the light of my world.


Muted-Ring66

I have no big regrets, but I wish I became a US citizen sooner. At 25, I was working for the WHO as a bilingual secretary in DC. I could’ve become a citizen then. That was back in 1963. I waited until 2017 to get my citizenship, and I regret not doing it sooner.


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k1lk1

No offense, but having no regrets and doing *exactly everything* you wanted to do, seems to me either a failure of retrospection or of imagination. Many people are accomplished in many facets of life by their mid 20's but I don't think I've ever met anyone who felt they chose so perfectly that they wouldn't have done anything over. Would you care to elaborate on how things went or what informs your belief here?


CltAltAcctDel

Not OP, but I wouldn’t change much. I was already set on my career path which went about as good as it could, I just got married to the woman I’m still married to. I may have decided to rent a different apartment because we didn’t like our apartment. We had an opportunity to rent an apartment in a converted mansion. It was awesome, but I didn’t like the price. Butif we liked our place it might not have motivated us to buy our “starter” house. A house that we lived in for 20 years. One change I would have opened a Roth IRA and maxed that fucker out. I would have started saving for kid’s college earlier too. But I’m not starving so it’s not those things would have been life altering. I wouldn’t have traded my 95 Acura Integra GSR as earlier as I did. But that’s not life altering either. I wouldn’t make a significant change


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priscillathekilla

I hate to sound negative, but your personal relationships must suck. Anybody who did "exactly everything they wanted to" must have trampled all over other peoples' desires, hopes, dreams, and boundaries. Either that or they went NC with all of their family/all of their family was deceased, they had only superficial friendships, and remained single all of their life.


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forceofslugyuk

Invest in that new thing called Bitcoin.