Robocop had a cool idea, but I want this idea:

What if you could change just ONE THING in your life? You can tweek one thing.. catch is, you don't know how it'll affect you, your personality, the people around you, the whole world, nothing. You can do one thing you'd like, but think of the consequences. {Example: You prevent your friend from ever being killed, but then he becomes a rapist later in life and rapes and kills many people}.

Your decision might not affect anything too bad, but think carefully about what it just might do...

If I could change something. Hmmmm . . . I don't do regrets usually Apricot but I will say this to you because I truly do regret this . . .

1991 was the best year of my life. I was living with my grandparents and uncle who I love so dearly, my dad and brother. One day around October time of that year, I was foolish enough to leave some computer magazines on the stairs until I decided to take them upstairs (regular thing for me to do back then for some insane reason).

My nan slipped on them and broke her leg. She died a month later from a blood clot as a result. I've only just barely managed to forgive myself recently.  :-\\

So, you'd prevent that death?

So, you'd prevent that death?


Exactly right.

So, you'd prevent that death?


I think Bobby's first few words explain that pretty well...

Heartbreaking stuff, Bob - coming to terms with that must have been hellish, but I don't really think you should apportion the total blame on yourself...

Which is pretty easy for me to say...

Now, I thought *I* was supposed to come up with all the "time travel/change the past" questions! ;D

Seriously though, cool topic. :)

There's alot I would do with a time machine, but I suppose if it were on a personal level, I'd probably go back to circa 1994, when I was 12. By then I'd be old enough to understand where "I" was coming from! Plus, we like alot of the same movies and music, or topics of interest, so we'd probably get along.

I have some regrets of, say, not doing as much with my own life as I could've - like being reluctant get closer to friends my age (sometimes I felt as if I couldn't relate to them since I was more "used to" adults - they were more interesting to me since they liked much what I did!).

I was doubly scared of interacting with girls/women much of the time (heck, in 6th grade, there was this teacher I had where, I often didn't raise my hand to ask for help just 'cause of the crush I had on her! I hope she doesn't read this board now ;) ).

Point being I sometimes went the "easy way" in situations like this, and didn't try at all, so I missed out on some social things (it wasn't until I got 16 or so that I started becoming like I am now). So, I'd just tell him to relax and be himself and, an idea of what to say in typical conversations, or when meeting people, etc.

Next, I'd try and give him the same general talk about talking with girls, but that would take a bit longer - especially when his "advisor" still isn't over it himself, LOL!!! :D

PS: This COULD end up like in BTTF 2 when Old Biff gave himself the almanac in 1955. What if my alternate self in "his" 1997 got too confident and, after going out with some girl (whom I'd have been to scared to talk to in "my" 1997), she got mad at me and had her big brother kick my a**?

This isn't really all for regrets... some people might want to change a past event... but this is just change ANYTHING. Not just the past, but the present, too.

If I could change something. Hmmmm . . . I don't do regrets usually Apricot but I will say this to you because I truly do regret this . . .

1991 was the best year of my life. I was living with my grandparents and uncle who I love so dearly, my dad and brother. One day around October time of that year, I was foolish enough to leave some computer magazines on the stairs until I decided to take them upstairs (regular thing for me to do back then for some insane reason).

My nan slipped on them and broke her leg. She died a month later from a blood clot as a result. I've only just barely managed to forgive myself recently. :-\\


Wow, in the time it took me to write my own response I didn't see this.

I know words hardly mean consolation in situations like this, but I'm so sorry to hear of this, Bobby -- my heart goes out to you. :(  

I think I would blame myself in your place too, but really, you had no way of knowing what could have happened as a result - it's not your fault.

I have some regrets of, say, not doing as much with my own life as I could've - like being reluctant get closer to friends my age (sometimes I felt as if I couldn't relate to them since I was more "used to" adults - they were more interesting to me since they liked much what I did!).

I was doubly scared of interacting with girls/women much of the time


Pffft! I'm still like that now...!

This isn't really all for regrets... some people might want to change a past event... but this is just change ANYTHING. Not just the past, but the present, too.


True, but that's sorta the idea. If I give my 1994 self advice, it will START the change in 1994, but that will also result in a different 2005 (in fact the 2005's would be more different than the 1994's since the "histories" would've split 11 years ago).

This isn't really all for regrets... some people might want to change a past event... but this is just change ANYTHING. Not just the past, but the present, too.


Quite often, what people would most like to change is their personal life, Apricot.

Thank you Paul and Marty McFly for your kind words. I know, I was 11 and stupid at the time but it took my nan's death to realise something and that is your actions always have consequences and that lesson will remain with me until the day I die.  :)

True, but that's sorta the idea. If I give my 1994 self advice, it will START the change in 1994, but that will also result in a different 2005 (in fact the 2005's would be more different than the 1994's since the "histories" would've split 11 years ago).


Yeah, but not only that: You'll alter people presently. For example, if you changed the present, say, giving yourself a good deal of money, people view you differently. Your whole future may be altered for better or worse, based on what you do.. see? It works both ways, past and present.

Tell you what i'm really really regretting (and I feel like such an arse for ever saying no in the first place), saying that my mam could sell her old car to my cousin instead of giving it to me for when I was ready to drive. I really regret saying no now because buying a car adds extra cost to the stuff i'm going to have to fork out for later on in life. I believe my original denial went something along the lines of: "Why do I need a car when i can't even drive?"
mam: "Well, what about when you can drive, it'll save you having to pay for a new one - save yourself a bit of money"
me(arse): "yeah, but it'll take months for me to learn to drive, and that's if I even pass. It means that the car'll be stuck in the driveway for about a year"
mam: "Well, it's your call..."
me: "just give it to Sarah. At least she'll use it sometime this year"

Why oh why did I ever say no?  :\'(

I have some regrets of, say, not doing as much with my own life as I could've - like being reluctant get closer to friends my age (sometimes I felt as if I couldn't relate to them since I was more "used to" adults - they were more interesting to me since they liked much what I did!).

I was doubly scared of interacting with girls/women much of the time (heck, in 6th grade, there was this teacher I had where, I often didn't raise my hand to ask for help just 'cause of the crush I had on her! I hope she doesn't read this board now ;) ).



I very much understand all this Marty. People older than me always felt 'safer' for probably the same reasons as yours. As it happens, I deal with a lot of people younger/my age in my workplace so that kind of beaten that feeling and reduced my guard considerably.

Would you believe I was incredibly inadequate at school? (Have only had one relationship and one sex partner ever in my life). I realise now that you just have to cast it aside and hope women like you for what you are and are drawn to it - that's what everybody has got, you've just got to advertise it.  :)

I very much understand all this Marty. People older than me always felt 'safer' for probably the same reasons as yours. As it happens, I deal with a lot of people younger/my age in my workplace so that kind of beaten that feeling and reduced my guard considerably.

Thanks Bob - yeah, I think as a kid you're always looking for advice, or people who went through what you did, so older people are a "guide". Well, that and when I was 7 or so, I vested more interest in music and video games than, say going outside and playing, which is why other kids were sometimes uninteresting to me.

You know how I nitpick the BTTF movies, or pop culture, etc? Well I've always done that to a degree with everything! ;D

Also ironic that I think I get along with kids WAY better today than when I was one!

Would you believe I was incredibly inadequate at school? (Have only had one relationship and one sex partner ever in my life). I realise now that you just have to cast it aside and hope women like you for what you are and are drawn to it - that's what everybody has got, you've just got to advertise it. :)


Very true again - well, all I'll say is you're ahead of me! :D

But heh, I've always had alot of female friends, so all's not lost, LOL!

I think that more often than not people say that they wouldn't change a thing about their life because every tiny decision they ever made brought them to where they are now. I don't know, I think there are definitely some things that I would change. I made a pretty big mistake that cost me the close friendship of the person who posted this thread, actually. I would take that back in a heartbeat, and it still stands as my biggest regret. I may have stuck it out in public school instead of being enrolled in a private school freak-show that provided a poor education and contributed to my forever social awkwardness.

Thoughts?

I think that more often than not people say that they wouldn't change a thing about their life because every tiny decision they ever made brought them to where they are now. I don't know, I think there are definitely some things that I would change. I made a pretty big mistake that cost me the close friendship of the person who posted this thread, actually. I would take that back in a heartbeat, and it still stands as my biggest regret. I may have stuck it out in public school instead of being enrolled in a private school freak-show that provided a poor education and contributed to my forever social awkwardness.

Thoughts?


There is lots I could change, and would want to change.

https://thelegacybuilder.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/211.jpg

But if I think about it too much, I'll start thinking about it more. Lots of "what ifs"

1) I should have left home the day after I graduated high school (or earlier if I had the $), and get a job right away so I could pay rent.
2) I would NEVER have moved out of my hometown, and kept my friends there, instead of moving to another city, being told I needed to skip another grade in high school, and was a year or two younger than anyone else. I did NOT belong.
.
.
.
I could go on but why bore people to death  ;D

In reality, I am where I am now. I can't change the past, I need to look forward and move forward with the hand dealt to me now and make the best of everyday...and try to survive and make it to the next day.

If I could change my life around, I would probably go right into a full time job instead of doing part time work.