Are there any skills you wish you could have acquired?

Knitting, I’d have use of complex knitted clothes, I can’t play an instrument, but where would I now? Similarly paintings, crafted items, where would they all go! I can hold a conversation in French, probably the only other language I’d use now, so, definitely knitting.

Oh, yes, drawing! To save my Gdcs’ lives I could not draw anything just out of my head, that would look anything like right. I really envied girls at school who’d be drawing ponies - that actually looked like ponies - all over their rough books.

Our art teacher would write just one word on my report: ‘Weak’.
As if anyone had needed telling!

Maybe not the sort of things you want to make, Gagajo, but Jean Greenhowe’s patterns are crystal clear and so easy to follow.

I wish I had persevered with piano lessons. I would have liked to learn shorthand as it would have been useful in all sorts of ways and I would like to be better at sewing and knitting but hey ho we can't have everything!

My gran learnt to sew in service. She made a lot of our clothes when I was a child. When her arthritis became so bad in her hands that she could no longer sew, my mum went to evening classes and was able to take over where my gran left off and got a job doing sewing as well. My daughter has now done the same and makes fancy curtains, blinds etc. I often wonder why I couldn't be the same. I only had to look at an electric sewing machine when I was at school for it to go wrong. I did make myself the odd skirt and shoulder bag as a teenager but nothing fancy. I suppose I just didn't have patience with it and would rather read than make things.

We had an upright piano in the sitting room when I was growing up. I would love to have learnt to play it. We were not well off and my parents couldn't afford piano lessons.

I never managed to ride a bike properly and really wanted to learn how to play the piano.

Oh what a great thread, so many interesting comments.
My mom was great at sewing, she used to make loads of stuff, but I hated it. But she did teach me to knit. Which I loved.
My wish list is, being able to paint and draw, I think it’s a talent, so not sure if it’s something to learn. Once I retire, I’d love to do some sort of crafts, but I’d like to do it in a group. So I’d pick up some tips.
Also wished I’d learn to swim. I’d love to learn another language, probably Spanish ?

Had many swimming lessons but could not overcome my fear of water. I feel quite envious seeing people jumping into a pool and swimming a few lengths. Oh to be able to float and swim in the sea - it always looks so relaxing.

I wish I'd had piano lessons as a child. I learnt to swim as an adult and have no confidence in water; both my kids were more confident than me before they could walk. And with foreign languages, I understand bits of written, but have no belief in my ability to speak.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Until a few years ago I'd have said Archery. But a day came when I just said to myself - If you are ever going to do it, do it NOW' - took lessons, got kit. Enjoyed it so very, very much. So, it's rarely too late. Go for it.

I wish I could play a musical instrument and sing, but I don't think all the lessons in the world would have helped. We had to lean the recorder at teacher training college, but someone stole mine. Were they trying to tell me something.

I wish I could crochet. My gran was a brilliant crocheter and tried to teach mexwhen I was little but it seemed such an old persons thing to do that I never really tried. Now it looks so relaxing.

But my biggest eternal regret is not mastering driving. I passed my test at 18, but just felt relief at not doing it anymore. I did drive very occasionally, especially when we got a small micra for the children to learn in. I always found it stressful and traumatic, then the car was stolen off our drive one night and torched. Our family car was a huge volvo, so I haven't driven since. I really envy those who just do it without any worries or fears.

My Mum, who could do everything craft wise (Sew. knit, crochet, tat etc)made beautiful Bobbin Lace and for years kept saying she wanted to teach me. Sadly she is no longer around. I have all her equipment but never learned the skill so when we are able to get back to some normality, I plan to find a group to join to learn but so so wished I had learnt from her!!!!

Jane43

I wish I’d learnt how to swim properly.

Me too, with swimming. I can do Lady-Swimming, basic breaststroke where my earrings rarely even get wet but I'd love more water confidence.

Amazed at how many have mentioned piano playing! I wish I had gone ahead with a bright idea early in lockdown to get a digiatal keyboard. I researched same and by time came to decision on model, it was sold out and even now still out of stock. It seems a lot of others had the same idea! I love Youtube for showing me how to do lots of things and have managed to do some crochet from demo there. Youtube will help with piano.... I hope! I have been saving up a fund to pay for same by selling things online.

DanniRae you really had me going! Reading these posts has made me feel pretty good about my own abilities. My mum was a secretary and insisted I take touch typing in high school (I was quite happy to do it) and once computers came into play, I was very grateful to be able to type quickly and without looking at the keys. I am appalled that so many of you were 'thrown out' of sewing classes! Outrageous teachers! I can't knit or do any crafts, but can ice skate, ride a bicycle and speak a little German! Am currently trying to learn a little Polish as I have a friend there, but it is a very difficult language!

I can sew, knit, do patchwork and weave. I am very proficient on the piano and violin - and love to perform in front of an audience. I have had a couple of books published and have nearly finished my third. I did all the illustrations for the books as I was an art teacher. I can swim, dive and ice skate. I must admit I am not terribly good at Latin but can get by in Spanish, French and German. I am also extremely good at lying. Sorry but it felt amazing to even pretend that I could do all those things!!

To learn and speak another language fluently. I can remember quite a good vocabulary in French and German, but I collapse in using the correct form of verbs, and am (stubbornly) too embarrassed to speak out until I know what I am about to say is fully correct. This puts a stop to any conversation. (My bad, with apologies to that other thread on here today - lol)

I have spent a lot of time around people who speak English as a foreign language. What many of them say is that English is widely spoken around the world, and especially on TV. So they grow up watching a lot of US films / British TV with sub-titles in the local language, but they hear the English. People from all around Europe, the Indian sub-continent, Pacific Islands and Central America say it would be fairly rare to go a day without hearing English in some form. Even in remote areas, you are likely to have the TV on.
I think in the past, films and TV were often dubbed, but with modern technology, sub-titles are cheaper - and a lot of people like it because speaking English is useful.
I should emphasise that this is what people have told me, I myself am not well travelled.

Play the piano. Now gaze at grandson who.is on.about grade 8, through window these days, magic fingers, hands crossover, not playingwith feet just yet though.

I am lucky in that I learnt to dive at 40 years! love it.

I would really like to be able to dance salsa properly, preferably with a partner who likes to dance :-)

I wish I’d have stuck to piano lessons at school.

Languages. I am OK in French and Spanish but do look on awe at those who are multi lingual. One of my friends speaks 7 languages!! I am also amazed at people in foreign lands who, when confronted with a t.v. camera, speak very good English. Sports people, who travel to play their individual sport, also seem to pick up the languages easily.

I wish I had learned to play the piano, but most other things I wanted to do I made myself do as an adult. I can now touch type, crochet (I learned to knit many years ago), speak German , not fluently but enough to hold a conversation. I did a degree when I was 40 and wrote a novel although it’s not been edited yet. In lockdown I started a business which is moderately successful. If you want to learn something it’s never too late, you can do it and get a great sense of achievement. I love learning, it is the key to happiness in my opinion.