Are there any skills you wish you could have acquired?

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!!

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!

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.

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.

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!!!!

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.

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.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

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.

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.

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 ?

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

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.

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.

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!

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

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!

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.

I wish i learned at an early age how to tell people to stop being nasty and horrible.
That came at a later date ,so it`s never too late to learn.
I also wish i could learn to lip read.

Basic DIY skills.

I wish I had learnt to swim under water. Too late now.

I’d like to have skied like the rest of my family

I wish I’d learnt how to play the guitar my Mum gave me when I was 16. (I still have it ?)

Like many others, I would love to have learned to play an instrument, or read music.

I can sew, or could when I could see well (I'm now partially sighted). My Grandma taught me to knit and crochet.

Likewise, I used to be able to sing well.

I have a smattering of other languages, as I always took a phrasebook when travelling abroad, and tried to learn at least a few useful phrases - though I doubt that I could hold a conversation for long! I owned a house in Bulgaria for 15 years (used only for holidays), and so learned some Bulgarian (very difficult).

Several people have mentioned that they wished they had learned the piano. It really is never too late. I have taught adults of all ages and it is a joy for both pupil and teacher. A reasonable digital piano can be bought quite cheaply and, although teachers are online at present, this is not a problem. We will be back in person before too long. It really is not unusual for someone to take up a musical instrument in retirement. Give it a go.

I would have loved to play an instrument, the piano round have been lovely. I am tone deaf and love to sing too.?

To ride a horse! Oh how I wanted riding lessons when I was a child (there were no horses near to where I lived, and couldn't afford it even if there were). Now that I have time and can afford it there are still no horse stables within 100 km of where I live. I have occasionally been on a horse, but never had lessons. Maybe one day I will sign up for horse camp...

And shamefully my French is terrible. I had a French father and bilingual mother, but we all answered back in English. Even with lessons in school it didn't really stick. I had been doing lessons in Duolingo before a trip to France, but once I started speaking, people would answer me in English, so it must be terrible! For shame...

Driving.