If you had the chance;

[reeb]

to live your life "all over again", just what would you do??

Hope this dont turn into a "Downer", but it is quiet a topic amongst us construction people,

For instance:

Would you graduate or drop out to go defend the USA ( of legal age ). At 18 you wereeligible for the draft, yet not old enough to vote or buy beer (minus the 3.2%).

Just how would you change your life style from 1960 to 2003, besides the fact of living in the past ( WHICH WAS GREAT TO US)

Personal: Would you marry your high school sweetheart or hunk?

There is alot of things that would change alot of our lives, but I want to hear some from you.

I think you might want to hear mine, so:

I would have graduated vice the GED
I would have went to defend the USA at no cost
I wouldnt have married my schoool sweetheart
I wouldnt have any kids until at least 30
I would have taken better care of myself vice all this crap about colestrial (sp) and smoking
I wouldnt have drank or smoke
I would enjoy the lives of my family, cause death is to soon coming to us all, of which I am ready for to join the ones that I truly love.

enough for now....

If you aint got nothing for this, then dont answer, it is a serious post.

[MORTARDUDE]

I would have graduated from Memphis State University in May 1970 and went to the US Air Force pilot school and been in South East Asia flying some kind of plane by July 1971. I have a feeling I was a pilot in another life. I had a bad time in Feb. 1969. Too personal for here.

Going in the service was never an option with me. Being 1-A and with the draft, it was a no brainer anyway. All the other avoidance options were NO options for me, EVER.

I would have sat down with all my living grand-parents ( 3 of 4 ), one died when I was just 6, and recorded every possible way that I could have, their impressions and experiences of pre-1900 America, farm life, World War 1, World War 2, Prohibition, the Depression, and all the rest of their life experiences. I also could have queried my Dad and my grandmother about my great-grandfather who fought in the Civil War and lived from 1834 - 1924.

I didn't meet my soul-mate, and she is... there can be absoulutely NO doubt... until I was 23 years old. I was fortunate, I guess, to have not been involved with anyone else.

I regret not taking my first cousin up on a job with Western Electric in 1971 when I got out of the Army. I instead went to Sears for 7 months... I later went to work for the federal government and it has turned out OK, but...

I regret not taking a government-summer job after my first year in college in Jackson, MS to learn about Civil Engineering...still don't know why I didn't go.

I wished I had taken a ton more pictures and movies, kept daily journals, and paid more attention to the people and the land of Vietnam and Cambodia. God knows my mind was on other things, but I sure missed a lot...

I wished I had gone to the VA in 1987 when the Vietnam-IMAX started rolling in my brain big-time. Might have made a lot of difference...Can't change that now...but Thank God I found all of you !

I seriously regret not getting to know my father better. He taught me everything he knew about hunting and fishing...I miss him everyday and he has been gone for almost 17 years. He died before I had a chance to "settle-up" so to speak. We weren't mad or anything,... I cannot ever remember a big argument with him, but the doctors didn't present his health situation in such a way that I knew what was coming...

These are all forks in the road that we are presented with. We have to deal with our decisions, for good or ill. I just lean VERY VERY heavily on the Lord and it all works out for me. Whatt I mean to say is we ALL die and find
out for sure, as Peggy Lee would say, "Is That All There Is ?? "

But being young and stupid I did none of the above.....

I have been visited by a miracle in my lfe since 1 JAN 2003. Some of you know what it is. If you have ever run smack-dab into one, you certainly know what I mean..

Thanks reeb for posting this. I truly hope no one will use it in any other way than you intended.

God Bless,

larry .... just ... larry

St. John 3:16

"No! Try Not. Do. Or Do Not. There is no try." - Yoda, Jedi Master

[sn-e3]

There are a couple of thing that i would change I would not tell Boeing to kiss my ass I'll never work for you again like I did in 1969 then come back after working some pretty bad lumber mill jobs shoot i would have 35 years seniority now and the guys that hired on new in 72 would be working for me now instead of visa versa. I would take better care of my body thats not tooo easy when your married to the best cook in the world. I would tell my Mom I love her before she passed away.

[Tina]

and that one change would change my whole life..
When i graduated i would have went into the military..
Like I so wanted to do.. But i was told be some ppl
that i was not smart enough..
anyways thats the one change i would make..
love ya
Your friend and God Bless,
Tina

[Keith_Hixson]

I wouldn't change much of anything.

Probably go for Master's straight out college rather than waiting 20 yrs.
Wish I had been in an occupation with a better retirement program. But, I love my occupation.
Have a great wife, great kids, and a great God.
For the most part life has been wonderful.

Keith

[Andy]

I would have parted my hair on the other side.

Stay healthy,
Andy

[catman]

I think the main thing I would change is the relationship i had with my father. My Father was an alcoholic, never saw him sober until is was a jr. in high school. I joined the Army at seventeen and never called home much. I was 25 when Dad died and I really miss never knowing him. He was a veteran of Korea and Vietnam and sent many heart felt letters while I was in Desert Storm but at the time I chalked it up to a man trying to make up for lost time. Now as a father myself, I have reread those letter a hundred times and can "see" what he was saying to me.

I would have stayed closer to my Mother after leaving the service. She's been gone for four years now.

There are a few career changes I would make, but nothing of great importance.

I guess I would have held my temper better at the medical board in 96, maybe I would still be in uniform.

Trav

[Boats]

Changes?

I really don't know how I can add much more than what was said above. We all think about that at least once in our life. Sure I've made mistakes some big ones too. To change anything now would most likely mean change to many things I've grown a custom to.

I would most likely be different I'm sure and I don't know if I'd like that. I've done a lot in my life and nothing I really regret maybe one or two things I'd like to take back but I feel the script was written for a reason.

We are all here for some reason - whether it be good or bad. You really only get once chance in life and much depends on the road you take. It's your road and no one can tell you which direction you should go.

[reeb]

Boats;

Very well stated;

We are "living to" make EVERYTHING out of or from life that we can, right?

So what is wrong with wanting to better yourself?

Not referring to you or anyone answering this post.

I bettered myself by quitting the painter I worked for almost 30 years to start my own painting company. Glad I did or I would most likely be under a bridge right now instead of being in a nice warm house and on this thing.

Know where I am coming from?

enough............

[Boats]

Reeb,

I take pride in saying most of everything I have today is because of one woman - my wife of 34 years. A good partner in life can make the transition easier.

I also give credit to my Dad (Johnny - now deceased) who gave me a good sense of work ethics. I've had some good teachers in my life. I made it through VN because of good friends (buds) we used to call each other and that has always been with me.

To change the past now would mean I'd loose those who helped make me what I am today. Tomorrow is another story but here to its a road with many lane changes. No one can make that call but me. I can only hope that what I've learned to date will guide me in the future.