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my dumbest mistake
genkaku
Northampton, Mass. U.S.A. Veteran
Posted elsewhere, but thought to post it here as well:
Question: What is the dumbest mistake you ever made?
That's a question I really and truly can't answer. But at my age, I have a very, very strong hunch that my biggest mistake is exactly and precisely the 'smartest thing I ever did ...'
Whatever that is.
Do you have a "dumbest mistake" or "smartest thing?"
Question: What is the dumbest mistake you ever made?
That's a question I really and truly can't answer. But at my age, I have a very, very strong hunch that my biggest mistake is exactly and precisely the 'smartest thing I ever did ...'
Whatever that is.
Do you have a "dumbest mistake" or "smartest thing?"
1
Comments
"Smartest thing" would be not to repeat my dumbest mistakes.
We took rucksacks, sleeping bags and bottles of schnapps and started hitch hiking. On morning 1, we woke up outside some garage in Belgium; that was a bit of a shock. But we found a pub, had a few more beers, and decided to continue towards France. On morning 3 we woke up in the French Foreign Legion in Lille; that was a bit of a shock also, and we asked to leave. I remember a big hairy-bottomed German corporal screaming at us; I think he was annoyed that we wasted their time.
We were out of money by this time, so we paid the British Consulate Embassy a visit and they contacted our unit and we were given train tickets (the cost of which was later deducted from our pay) back to Germany, but we had enough for one last night out in Koln, where we should've changed trains for Bielefeld.
We arrived back at barracks on the Thursday; we should've been on parade the prior Monday; we were put under close arrest for four days and subsequently we were both awarded 28 days detention.
Lille is quite lovely though, from the fragments I can remember.
The smartest thing I did was to go to A.A..
When I was 18, I transferred to a college (from a local college) 300 miles away because I was mad at my mom. But that was where I met the guy who would give me my 2 children and met a community I still adore and still miss (the same community I later returned to and met my husband).
It took me much longer than it should have to leave a bad relationship. Many years longer. It was not abusive but it was not healthy. But he was my kids' father and I had to know I did all I could. Eventually he took his life on the downward spiral I knew he would, and he died. But my children treasure the years of memories they did get with him, which they would not have had if I had left the very first time I considered it.
Smartest thing I did: Moved my family back to my home town. My kids have tons of support and family around them and it's been outstanding for their development in many ways.
Oooh wait I have one really bad one that never had a good result. About 10 years ago when I was new to my job and insecure with my coworkers, a bunch of us went to the bar after work. Most of the people had been drinking for hours and I was the only person not drunk because I worked until midnight. So I had CO Bulldogs (drinks) and chased them with shots of vodka and was horribly drunk within 2 hours. Then I drove home. I have never been so sick in my life (I was sick for 2 days) nor have I ever felt so horrible about anything I have done. I was so extremely lucky I did not kill or hurt anyone. I have never driven after having even a single drink since then, and I never will. So perhaps that is a lesson learned but I knew better than that to begin with. Still can't believe I did that. I'd never done it before that, I really can't explain it. My car was a 5-speed too, I don't even know how I managed to start it much less drive it home. Horrifying.
$2,050 (100 shares) would now be worth almost $16 million today.
Dumbest thing I ever did? Walking away from the one I walked down the aisle with.
The dumbest mistake I ever made was to get married.
dumbest? remains classified to the betterment of all humankind.