Hey Pandas, What's One Thing You Didn't Do And Regret Not Doing?

I regret not having chosen to study a career that was aligned with my talents. At that time I didn't see myself as good enough. I let my parents choose my career for me. I graduated, found a job, am doing well, but I feel like an impostor most of the time. The more time passes the more I find my job title meaningless. My soul is absolutely not into my work. I daydream constantly of where I would be if I had chosen differently, of different paths. I wish I could change but having responsibilities makes it difficult. Maybe one day... maybe...

I regret, with my whole heart, not getting diagnosed & medicated years before I had children. I was a terrible, out of control rage mother. I never physically hurt them, but what I put them through was worse. Until I was medicated when they were in their teens, my kids were ( rightfully) scared of me. Not a day goes by that I don’t regret 1983 thru 1996.

Not breaking up earlier with my ex(es).

I have issues, we all do but I'm in my thirties now and I just started seeking help for my anxiety, my self-esteem, my depression and go on. My parents where alcoholics (and my father used drugs as well) and I barely remember times when they where sober, supportive or just.. nice to me.

So skip ahead a few years and I'm in relationship after relationship and their all abusive in their own way, making me feel small and useless. That their the only person in the world that takes me seriously and loves me like no other.
They lied. They cheated, and I forgave. They took my money (which I had to work f*****g hard for!), my pride, my self-esteem, my sense of joy and one even got me as far as morning to a sucky town with unbelievable stupid dumb***es.. AND I FORGAVE. And one day I woke up and thought, f*** this I can't go on going from one idiot to another and die at the end and think: 'jolly well, life was swell'. So I dumped the idiot I was dating (who did not want to commit and only wanted me around for sex and food) and I started working on myself. Loving me, working out, going back to school, saving money and buying the clothes I wanted to wear and cut my hair how I wanted it and all that!

I feel better most days and sometimes my low self-esteem kicks in and my husband just hugs me and says everything is going to be okay. I am now in a healthy relationship, we share the bills, we support eachother, we take time for eachother and ourselfs.

Best of all: I think I'm (kinda) cool and worth it!

My father was in hospice. I set up a trip to go see him before he passed. My sister offered to take me a week early. When she went to see him he told her stories and hugged her and said that he loved her. When I went a week later he couldn't form a sentence. He would look around the room and tug at his shirt like a toddler. He was gone before I ever got there. The cancer had gotten to his brain in the week that I waited. I wish I had gone with my sister...the doctors had given him two months...I thought I had time. He lasted 4 weeks, and I never really got to say goodbye. I was only able to talk to a shred of the man who raised me...I can only hope he heard me.

Expressing my sympathies on a memorial for one of our wonderful teachers who had passed away. I had a wonderful story about her and I just chickened out to step up to the mic when invited. She was an amazing person…

When I was interning at a company in upstate New York in 90s, my boss took me to this airplane show at one small airport (Saratoga). On display were many of WW2 planes. Think of British Spitfire, P51 Mustangs, etc. They were doing demo flights and asked attendees who want to fly in the backseat say for 15 kins. I was asked, and I said no thanks. The thought was, they were 70 year-old planes, who can guarantee they can still fly.

Thinking back... I should have taken the offer, the risk be damned.

I regret not trying to convince my grandma to stop smoking (I was just a kid) but I regret it because she died from it and most of all I regret never being able to hug her again.(I really just hope she could be proud of me)

Not continuing education after high school. I was too busy partying in my younger days. I was an average student only because I didn't apply myself. By the time I was ready to get a higher education, I was living on my own and had no money. That's my biggest regret.

My manager at my first job was an absolutely kickass lady. She had some issues, but she was a great person to talk to (I told her stuff about my life that I never even told my parents) and was always ready to go to bat for us part-timers when the rest of the management was treating us like s**t. She was middle-aged and didn't have any kids, so the first Mother's Day after I worked there, I texted her something like "Happy Mother's Day to my work mom". The next year I meant to text her that again, but I forgot. A few days later, I went into work and one of the other managers informed me the awesome manager had ended her own life the previous night. I still wonder if my sending her a nice text might have caused her to rethink her decision.

I regret taking care of my health when I was in university. I was a healthy kid and I wish I kept my healthy habits when I began living alone.

Didn't keep up with my Spanish. When I was 4, I was as fluent as a 4 year old gets, mom had to remind me to speak English after my trip to Mexico for my birthday to visit the Tías and cousins, (my Abuelita had a lot of sisters) but My Dad never spoke it with me, so I forgot the language, which is a shame.

I did not save my inheritance but spent it on living, a car and vet bills while in university.

A girl I was obsessed with offered me... that. yes. THAT. I walked away in panic.

Had a neighbour who was an excellent sculptor. Offered to teach me but I was too young and stupid. Probably my biggest missed oppourtunity.

I was offered a job as a dresser for the traveling Broadway series, but turned it down. Odd that I was bemoaning that very thing yesterday.

Where to start? I'd say not finishing college in pursuit of a journalist career. I thought a blue collar job in a local company would take care of me for life, as the company my Dad worked for would. #poordecision

I was 18 and in my first few days at university. I met up with a girl I had liked since primary school (but she went to a different secondary school). We had dinner together but I cut it short as I wanted to watch the highlights of a sporting event that I knew the result of. Still regret my facepalm decision 35 years later.

Was asked to take fotographs at the wedding of my best friend - i am not a professional. Promised her younger brother not to take any of him, because he felt very uncomfortable in front of a camera. Two weeks later he suddenly died.
I regret this promise and this decision, because these pictures could have been the last happy memories of him for the family.
(Sorry for any typos)

Giving my son up for adoption 20 yrs ago. I think about it every day.

Finishing college
Flossing & brushing twice a day