Things You've Done In Your Life with Zero Regrets

rstcso

rstcso

Joined
May 7, 2025
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Location
Central Texas
A companion to the "What have you always wanted to do but haven't yet." thread, name some of the things you've done in life that you realize may be others' dreams.

- As a teenager, my sister was married to a guy who loved to work on cars. He taught me how to work on MGA, MGB, Austin Healey, Sunbeam, Triumph, and many Studebakers. We rebuilt a 1967 Falcon with 289, drove it to California, picked up a 1956 Studebaker with the cyclops eye speedometer, rebuilt the motor, and drove it back to Oklahoma.

- When in the US Air Force and working intelligence, flew several training missions (wasn't airborne statsus) on our RC-135U aircraft, sitting in the cockpit during air refueling. Once, we flew through a thunderstorm with St Elmo's fire dancing across the windscreen. The pilot had 16 years experience and had never seen it before.

- Was a SCUBA divemaster. Most memorable diving was a week spent in Guanaja, Honduras, where I got to pet moray eels and swim next to a bull shark until he descended beyond 120'.

- Got my Texas peace officers' license and worked as an Advanced Reserve Deputy Sheriff (same responsibility as full-time, but as a volunteer).

- Built a 20' x 24' cabin on 25+ acres with our oldest daughter alongside helping, teaching her to use cutoff saws, nail guns, drive a tractor, etc.

I've been blessed with some wonderful memories.

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I sold all my Amazon stock in 2001. Ok I’m lying that was stupid.

But such is life, VMWare did me well. Incredibly well. 2 special dividends and then Broadcom took them over. Cash and stock payout.

The above illustrates you win some and lose some. I also got facebook at the IPO and sold at 43. Amazingly boneheaded, but I know the backstory. I bought more as low as 21 and it bottomed around 19. Scary.

Why I don’t regret the above is we can’t avoid such scenarios and we learn. We cannot effectively time the market. Takes failing at it to learn.

I don’t regret that my son started playing ice hockey. I don’t know which is greater, the time or money investment. And what’s the end game, a Princeton scholarship? Hardly. But I’m glad to do it. My dad and mom would never have. It all leads to becoming comfortable in our own skin.
 
I did cognitive behavior therapy in my 30's. It is beyond life saving. It opens you up to living life fully and satisfying. It teaches you to overcome your negative tendencies and manage everything better. It gives you tools and skills to manage your demons. Most people have some: bad temper, excessive worry, OCD, stress, poor decisions, oil hoarding (many here), perfectionism, fears/phobias, laziness, decision making, relationship challenges, spending challenges, on and on and on.

I urge all men to "man up", overcome the stigma I call the "John Wayne syndrome" and get yourself on track. It saved me the expense of requiring a "bro truck" *, LOL.

* Urban Dictionary: "A lifted truck that an angry, easily irritated white guy with little man's disease drives."
 
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Retirement for sure.

Forgive people

Real estate purchases

Save 20-30%+ of every dime that crossed our threshold

Invest early and hard in mutual funds

Not buy a bunch of expensive toys

Adopt rescue pets

Build the breezeway cover and fences and other home projects (none I have any regrets, did many over the years)

Hike the high Sierra mountains every summer after working 75% of the summer during college breaks
 
Decided I wanted to learn to play acoustic guitar. Borrowed a brothers guitar and learned to play enough that I could then personal travel to every store within the area and listen to the sound quality of every acoustic guitar they had. Then went back to the store that had the best sounding guitar and bought it paying no attention to the very high price. Then spent considerably more ( almost as much as the original price) to have the manufacturer put a wider neck and pickup on it. I'm the original owner of it. It was made in 1994 and I bought it in 1997. I keep the humidity of it at 47% +/- about 5 % year round. It still sounds amazing with every note ringing loud and true, with great hermonics and great substain.

My long time joke is " I'm one of the best acoustic guitar players in the entire country.

Personally, im not a very good guitar player, but I'm one of the best guitar players in the entire country."

Every note, be it separate or a cord, is a relaxing pleasure to listen to.
 
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