Gransnet forums

Ask a gran

If you could change one thing from the past...

(57 Posts)
ariana6 Mon 08-Aug-16 10:24:36

If you could change one thing from the past, what would it be? For me it would be having more self confidence when I was younger.

GandTea Mon 08-Aug-16 10:33:48

We would have had our children sooner. However a miscarriage and my kidney failure for several years intervened.

Mumsy Mon 08-Aug-16 11:14:30

Had to think about that one and really couldnt come up with anything.

emmasnan Mon 08-Aug-16 11:20:47

To not be so shy. Shyness has held me back on many occasions in my life.

tanith Mon 08-Aug-16 11:52:08

I would of taken more notice of the history of my family when my older relatives were alive especially my Dad I'm going to try and write a potted history of my life to leave behind.

Anniebach Mon 08-Aug-16 12:25:46

Too many to list

gettingonabit Mon 08-Aug-16 12:59:17

Self confidence. I still haven't got any! I've realised over the years that most people are actually bull.....ers.

Teetime Mon 08-Aug-16 13:02:22

Not got pregnant at 16 and missed out on my further education- tried to remedy that by getting degrees later but its not the same- will forever regret that and never forgive myself for being so stupid.

Christinefrance Mon 08-Aug-16 13:06:34

Maybe not married just because I was pregnant but times were so different then.

hulahoop Mon 08-Aug-16 13:07:11

Learn how not to worry as much and like you Tanith wish I had asked more about family history.

NanaandGrampy Mon 08-Aug-16 13:09:15

Nothing.

Not because there aren't things I could/should change but because here I am ....and I'm happy with my life .

And I wouldn't change that for the world.

So, the sum of my experiences got me here and changing my past might have changed my today . smile

chelseababy Mon 08-Aug-16 13:12:30

Not split up with fiance when 19. Though of course who knows how it would have turned out?

NonnaW Mon 08-Aug-16 13:16:23

Shyness/self confidence. It might not have changed what I did to get to the me of today, but I'd probably have enjoyed things more along the way.

sarahc446655 Mon 08-Aug-16 13:17:11

To undo the fact that my ex-brother was ever born as he went on to steal a very large sum of money from our elderly parents.

merlotgran Mon 08-Aug-16 13:25:43

I wouldn't know where to start.

kittylester Mon 08-Aug-16 14:50:47

I could wish that I had had more self confidence but, as n&g says, I probably wouldn't have what I have now and, despite the ups, downs, hiccups and minor irritations, I am very happy to be where and who I am now.

ninathenana Mon 08-Aug-16 14:52:36

That D had never met her husband.
That my dad had met my children.

kittylester Mon 08-Aug-16 15:17:18

I almost put that too Nina but without the Idiot (who has recently excelled himself!) we wouldn't have the two children she had with him and she might not have met their lovely new 'daddy'.

annodomini Mon 08-Aug-16 15:32:19

If only I had never started taking NSAIDs.

f77ms Mon 08-Aug-16 15:42:36

I regret a lot of things ...
Not staying on at school and then going on to University
Marrying someone completely unsuitable at 19
Not standing up for myself
Not being adventurous and always going for the safe option .

KatyK Mon 08-Aug-16 15:44:11

I wouldn't know where to start either.

WilmaKnickersfit Mon 08-Aug-16 16:43:23

I would tell my Mum that she should listen to her instincts about her doubts about her 2nd husband.

morethan2 Mon 08-Aug-16 16:56:04

Why annodomini?

morethan2 Mon 08-Aug-16 17:03:45

I wish I'd handled my daughters estrangement better. All that angst and pain my other children witnessed. They've never forgiven her for my pain even though I have.
I wish I'd been kinder to my dad
Like gettingonabit I also wish that I'd realised that some people are bulls_______.
There's loads more I'd change. Too many to list really. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

dramatictessa Mon 08-Aug-16 18:38:03

Not cleaning up my muddy path this year - if I had I wouldn't have slipped on it and broken my arm! Apart from that, there are some things which, if they were changed, might have made my life easier, but they might have made it harder, so no point having regrets.