In 1992, I started buying guns for the first time. My buddies and I would get together on the weekends with our new AK’s or SKS’s, Garands, or whatever, and we would blow a case of beer and a case of ammo in the desert until we were out of both. Sometimes we would just stay and camp out for the night up in the desert hills. If we needed to re-up our supplies, we’d hit the local gun shows and buy new toys, ammo, magazines, camo, camping gear, etc. Sadly, that only lasted a little over a year. I remember getting together literally on New Year’s Day 1993 for a shooting session in the mists up in the hills. I felt like I had to twist everyone’s arm to get them to go, but we all went. That was probably the last time everyone was all together for a shoot. Things happened. One buddy’s guns got stolen. Another didn’t have much of a job and couldn’t afford supplies anymore, and everybody’s enthusiasm just went to sh*t. By November of 1993 I had pretty much quit hanging around with that group of friends except for the rare trip to a gun show out of town or something. As far as I know, none of them even live in this town anymore.
In 1982-1984, I was in college. My buddies and I used to go to the strip clubs in El Paso regularly. We sat around and watched X-rated movies on a buddy’s satellite dish (the old kind). Back then, you could pull in XXX porno movies from somewhere–for free. We’d watch those for hours to get primed for a night at the strip clubs. Sometimes we’d start watching movies on Saturday afternoon and by the time we finished we had stayed out at the strip joints until they closed–driving the 50-mile distance back home just a little before sunrise. Of course I lost touch with all those guys. A few months ago I opened the obituaries on my local paper’s website and there was one of those guys that used to go with us. He was only a few years older than me.
When I met my current girlfriend in 2013, we spent the better part of that year going on road trips to Vegas, Tombstone, and some local attractions. The only reason this one ranks #3 is it’s still fresh in my mind and we might do it again!
I had about eight quiet years at the ranch, getting to lug an ice chest full of beer a couple times a week out to my favorite desert spot for a peaceful moonlit night of sipping my favorite beverage while just being in the outdoors under the stars. Then circumstances changed and things got stressful and busy, where they’ve stayed. I wish it could be 2009 again.
If you had a time machine, what period in your life would you relive?
I struggled in school the whole time I was in it. So sometimes I just did what I had to do just to get through the day/week/month/year you get it. If I could go back in time the only thing in my life I would do different would be to get all the help I could and apply myself the best I could’ve in school. Don’t know how much difference it would’ve made in my life, but it wouldn’t of hurt anything that’s for sure.
Oh, and would’ve kept playing baseball. Probably could’ve gotten a free ride with baseball. My mom never lets me forget it!
I was broke all the time in high school and did some remarkably stupid things. If I did it all again I doubt I’d get as lucky as I did, meaning I’d be in jail or dead.
I had fun times in the military, but spent way more time drinking excessively and generally hating life. No desire to do that again.
No, I’m pretty good just living my life one time. No ragrets.
I’d like to relive some of the summers in rural Maine when I was between the ages of maybe 12 and 17 perhaps. It was just a fun time. And back then the whippoorwills hadn’t died off in the area yet and you’d hear them all over the place at night. I haven’t heard a whippoorwill in like twenty years.
Another era I’d like to re-live is my early to late twenties, just so I could do a few things differently. Most notably not get involved with one certain woman, and get more involved with a lot of different ones.
Wouldn’t want a do over because it would change the outcome of my existence in terms of the impact it has had on others.
If I had chosen the other woman, none of my sons would exist.
Likewise, had I accepted the Marine Corps fine offer to send me to Annapolis, I am pretty certain neither one of those women would have been in my life, and my sons would not exist.
Likewise, had my first wife allowed us to remain in a merely passable marriage, I never would have ended up adopting my two daughters with my second wife.
Seriously, though, my mother died Saturday, actually in my arms. I wish I had the three days before back. I would have visited her before her stroke and told her again that she is the reason that I’ve had such a happy life. I hit that one in front of a group of friends and family at her 80th birthday, but it would have been nice to tell her again when I was sure she could hear me.
The life I’ve had has been good enough, thanks to everyone in it.
If I was the same old foolish me, no way I’d go back. If I took what I know now I’d go back to the summer of 1963 before 10th grade and do it all over. Play rhythm guitar badly and be lead singer in a four piece cover band for fun and maybe get unobtainable Donna S. to give me a shot. Actually do my homework. Work hard for enough $$$ to buy only interesting cars and stash the best ones. Join the army for a 3 year hitch in June of ‘66 -OCS for the maturing experience and talk Kenny M. into signing up with me. Maybe this time he would make it back. Just in time to head to Woodstock.
The only downside would be never experiencing new music or movies. Might make me appreciate classical music. And there would always be all those books I never read and roads not traveled to explore. At least money would be no problem knowing what companies to get in on at the beginning. And Reggie Jackson would have competition buying up muscle cars dirt cheap during the 1973 energy crisis.
Most importantly I would thankful for the chance to be kinder to my parents and brother.
If I had a happy marriage and kids my response would be quite different.
So it sounds like you can’t make changes, just relive the time?
I probably wouldn’t bother. Life has been good, but I am really excited about whats ahead for me. There would be individual days that would be quite cool, but even those I believe that I probably remember as being better than they probably were in real life. The human mind has a way of adding a positive spin to those types of things.
I waited forty one years to marry the girl I fell in love with when I was fifteen.
I wouldn’t wanted to relive any of those years, they were a mix of good and bad. 21 years of Soldiering, 18 years of being a single dad, more than a few good women along the way. It’s all good.
If I could have any wish it would be to continue to have a happy life together with my Wife and be healthy with her for a very, very long time.
I’m a mix of what raimairthree said living the late 80s to the early 2000s. I had a hell of a run. I can’t believe some of the things I’ve seen and done. I saw a lot of good, and some not so good also.
BUT, as 26inf says, I wouldn’t change a thing as I’ve landed in a good spot with the woman of my dreams. I wouldn’t dare alter the timeline. Besides, I might not be as lucky the 2nd time around. The memories will do.
She told me not too long ago she’d had a good run, she was almost 83. Lost a lung to lung cancer four or five years ago, three years a go she broke her pelvis falling off a ladder putting squirrel food out. Right after I retired she broke her hip and ended up in a rehab hospital for a couple months. I drove or rode over to see her nearly every day (140ish round trip) so my step-dad could get some R&R.
We had fun, I turned her onto Craig Johnson (Longmire) and John Sanford (Virgil Flowers). A couple times it seemed like I’d been giving her reading assignments as we talked about the books. I always meant to go back and see some of the staff and residents, because it was a good group.
She limped pretty good after that so I started calling her Duke because she tottered along like John Wayne did.
Going to miss her, but I’m not too sad, she was ready.
My condolences, I lost my mom to a couple of strokes over a weekend in 2015. She was independent until the end and I was grateful that she didn’t get stuck in stroke limbo like my father. He went almost 2 years on a feeding tube and bed-bound. He never complained and kept his sense of humor.
Sounds like your mom had a great son who she knew loved and cherished her.
OP, I am so lucky to be here, I would never tempt God/fate by trying for a second run…but as most have stated, there are a lifetime of mistakes that could be corrected.
I would go back to 1982 - 1985. I was 10 when we moved to Fulda Germany…“The Fulda Gap”. I lived in a German village about 20 minutes outside the base. I befriended several locals and had a blast helping on their farms. The exchange rate was awesome so my parents took me and my siblings on some nice vacations and would send me on a couple of ski trips a year.
I get nostalgic this time of year, especially for the Christmases of my youth. I can still smell the smells…the oranges, the fake snow from a can you sprayed on windows, the food. I loved the lights…the big, fat bulbs…the cheap-ass ornaments that came a dozen to a box. I would like to ‘see’ those again.
Also, having just rewatched Band of Brothers and watched The Pacific for the first time, I’d like to go back to the 80s and interview some family members that were in WWII…my uncle was in the 101st in WWII (not BOB company), one of my mom’s cousins was a major in the Army in WWII, another cousin was in the Marines (WWII, Korea, and VN). I wish I had the wherewithal as a teenager to appreciate the history and have recorded it.
I met my best friend Ken in September 2001 at a big car (LS1 FBodies) gathering that he put on. We quickly became best friends and I looked up to him like the older brother I’ve never had. Eventually I was best man at his wedding. He moved to NC and I would visit him every chance I got. A few years later he and his wife got a divorce. I went there to see him, we cried together. He was family. The closest person to me other than my wife.
He met another girl and I was about to get married. We were getting married in the Dominican Republic and he gave me some BS excuse about not wanting to “waste” his vacation time. It really hurt and we stopped talking. I got married, he got married. His wife ran off with some other dude and unknown to me he started drinking. One day in December, three years later he texts me asking if I would talk to him. How could I not? He came by, apologized and we buried the hatchet. We started texting and talking on the phone every day like old times.
On March 3 our mutual friend texted me to tell me Ken died. He was 39 years old. I cried like a little baby, angry with myself about all the time we missed.
If I could I would go back to tell myself to not be mad at him. To forgive him and not lose his friendship for 3 years. You never know how much time you have with someone. I regret it every day and think of Ken.
I used to hate the fact that I didn’t find my “soul mate” in college. I fooled myself into believing I should have married so-and-so (who wanted to), and had the associated guilt trip. Lately I’ve realized that 1) I didn’t have the maturity to find “the one” when I was nineteen, 2) I didn’t have the good job or reliable vehicle to do more than “date once in a while” during my college years, and 3) So-and-so wanted kids and to this day I do not. So, it wouldn’t have worked out. I’m finally at peace with the fact that the logistics weren’t there and I’ve seen enough of my friends divorce to realize love does not conquer all–at least not in a marriage.