Biggest regret

Going riding two weeks before heading off to basic. I caught a life flight out of Mojave due to a huge crash and, that was that. I quit riding for several years. 

 

Around 15 years ago deciding to go to college straight out of high school instead of just working a normal job first and figuring out exactly what to do with my life/career. It was always shoved down our throats that you HAVE to get a degree to be successful. Went to community college for 2 years, transferred to a University for another 2, spent several thousands to get my B.A. in communications & public speaking all with the full intent to go to law school. In my last year I did 2 internships at the county D.A. office and absolutely hated it. Went to a law office that practices civil law and hated it even more.  If I could go back I'd just work a normal job for a few years to get more life experience and figure out what I was really interested in like engineering or Auto-CAD. 

Honorable mention: Nearly a decade ago I worked with this super hot chick, we always had lunch together and sometimes went our for a drink after work. Definitely had chemistry but she refused to hook up with someone she worked with. She had told me she wanted to move to SoCal in the near future but after a few months nothing happened. Out of nowhere on a Friday night she texts me saying she quit that day and was moving that weekend and wanted to come over. I had literally just pulled up to a restaurant to go on a first date with some chick from POF so I told her I was busy for a couple hours. My date turned out to be a complete bitch and I never heard from the hot chick again. 

Selling my original cr125 when the red ones hit the showroom floor.

Well its hard to admit it, and it will sound odd to say it BUT…I regret to this DAY one particular Sunday of Moto that completely changed the course of my life! 

I was in my junior year of a collegiate scholarship for baseball, well on my way to a degree and headed for Marine Corp aviation upon graduation … we got the last 3 days of 1984 spring break off, No games, practice or team responsibilities Fri/Sat/Sunday. My folks lived 35 miles away, I went home for the 3 day weekend and spent most of Saturday chasing this little hottie split-tail, (I’ve been married to her 37 years now! 😎) and then made the genius decision at the 11th hour, to go try to RACE my 1984 KX125 that had been left un-attended & neglected in my folks shed since the early fall. I was half asleep from previously mentioned tail-chasin’ and completely out of practice with my dirt bike skills BUT went to the track wholly unprepared and signed up anyway! I missed most of practice because as also mentioned, the bike was NOT in any state of maintenance to be ridden, let alone raced, but my dumbass pressed on and went out for the 1st moto…promptly crashed my brains out halfway through the opening lap, resulting in a badly broken left arm! (And it could have been SO much worse than that!) 

The little split-tail I’d chased all the day before, took me on what would still be the scariest car ride I’ve ever been on to this day, trying to get me to the E.R. without an ambulance ride! I spent the night in the hospital and had surgery the next morning! The WORST phone call I ever had to make was the one to my folks telling them I had done exactly the opposite of the last thing they said to me as I walked out the door…”Have fun but DON’T hurt yourself!!?” 😡 🤢 🤬

I finished up the school year in a cast, and watched my baseball playing trickle to an end and any hope of becoming a Marine Corp aviator slowly disappear in a cloud of poorly maintained two-stroke exhaust!

On the upside… That monumental lapse in focus taught me a TON about making better decisions, taking the time to be properly prepared for all my endeavors and taking responsibility for my actions and the consequences that might come with them!

I’m thankful & grateful that it was only a broken arm, I know it could have been so much worse! (Two different close riding buddies suffered devastating injuries that resulted in paralysis! I think of and pray for those two & the guys on here daily!) 

I eventually made full recovery, finished up my schooling and I had a great 31+ year career in my chosen field…been married to that same great gal for 37 years, we’ve raised a family and I have had a damn good run 

BUT 

I will always regret that one fateful Sunday and I will wonder till the day I die just what or how my life might have gone IF I hadn’t gotten hurt and continued on the path to a career in military aviation!? AND I will regret to my last breath that I never served in the United States military!

Maybe I’m in the minority, but I have absolutely zero regrets in my life. I have two incredible kids and an amazing wife. I’m a firm believer in The Butterfly Effect, so every decision I’ve ever made has lead me to exactly the spot I am now. 

I regret selling every house and dirt bike I’ve ever sold.  Should’ve kept them all.

her name was Alexis. 'Nuff said. Ugh. Also referred to as ex-wife.

Same here, Sully. You never know what “regret” might have prevented you from having a bigger regret!

However…if I had a do-over?  Don’t go for that big step-up on the first lap with your buddy’s CRF!  I did learn than a 250 in 4th is faster than a 450 in 3rd…

One of the places my mom and I had always wanted to visit was New Orleans. For the history and to see the WW2 museum, as well as the authentic Cajun food. When my mom’s lung cancer spread to her brain, we knew we needed to make it happen as soon as possible. Thing is, unfortunately, this was in May of 2020, and everything hadn’t opened back up yet. She went through brain radiation treatments and everything and did really well, so we planned it for August of 2021. Fast forward a bit and the day we were planning on leaving, she was struggling with a lot of things. Walking. Tying her shoes. Etc. Got her to the hospital, and obviously canceled the trip, and found out her cancer had spread to her spinal cord. She passed away in December of 21 and we never made it down there. I wish I would have just made it happen ASAP at some point in my adult life. I didn’t, and I will always regret that. Do things now folks. Don’t wait. You just never know.

A lot of people come to a fork in the road and take the wrong track.

Mine was in 1976, my buddy was moving to SoCal and asked me to come with him. I was living with a woman at the time, and things were rocky, so I decided to leave and go with him without telling her. I really wanted to go to continue my MX racing out there in the promised land. She got wind of it, and broke me down with the all the drama that she could muster.

I ended up marrying her, and that ended badly!

At this exact moment....not putting some mustard on this sandwich I'm eating.

I have lots of little regrets. They are mostly the times I mistreated someone or was out of line and didn't realize it at the time. 

One thing I do regret is not calling that redhead the day after she gave me her number. Ah, what could have been...

I don’t like her. She sucks. 

my job.

I did not enjoy school at all, so college wasn't really an option for me, fortunately I got a pretty badass job fresh out of high school making pretty decent money. Worked there for 8-ish years and then got laid off.

Didn't really have a plan or know what to do next, but three of my close friends were all working at the same place, and they were hiring. Got the job, and actually made less than I was making on unemployment, but figured oh well, it's a job and it'll turn around eventually. 

The job was painfully easy so I was able to climb the ladder over the years, I am now at year 10 and what was supposed to be a big break in my carrer ended up being a joke of a promotion. 

So now im in 10 years deep into a company that I no longer have faith, and a resume that doesnt really translate into other industries, and tired of staring at emails all day.

My parents had urged me to get into a trade and I really wish I would have listened to them 20 years ago

I'm in the camp of no regrets just a lot of life lessons learned...but I fucking regret selling this bike. 1969 Honda Scrambler that I did a 100% restoration on back in 2013.  The hours spent in front of the buffing wheel will probably take 15 years off my life.

Went on a blind date with a girl named Alexis once. Got there and she looked more like a Buick.

(joke from a comedian I can’t remember)

I regret you telling that joke….

jk

Well now I regret telling you that joke. 

Got Larry the cable guy written all over it. Ha

Selling my 67 RS Camaro . That still stings whenever I see one … and it’s been twenty five years ! 

I don’t care who you are, that’s funny…

Someone already said it. 

But I sold my beloved 84 CR 500 in a time of need to a dick who immediately crashed it into a house and fucked it up.

Stupid. 

In no particular order…

-Trading in my well-sorted and dearly loved 96 CR250 on the then-new 97 model. Went from the best bike I’d ever had to the worst.

-marrying my first wife. Nuff said.

-deciding girls were more important than getting my pilots license (for free) in high school. Dumb.

-Not seeing Lemmy, SRV, and Pantera while they were alive.

I  won't screw with you about SRV anymore than I may have. 

He was from around here...

not investing what little i was making in my 20s instead of hoarding cash. i'd be alot further along now, but ill be okay in the long run

Good thread Borg!

Biggest regret for me would be not being open and honest with some of my struggles in life. Being stubborn. Calling people Bible beaters. Walking in ignorance. Not opening the door when Jesus Christ was knocking.

But he never stops pursuing you. All you have to do is open the door.

Turn around and he’s there. He’s in the boat with you during life’s storms.

I wish I knew and understood that more.

Im so grateful my children are plugged into a church that loves them and speaks truth. They are so far ahead of where I was at their age. They have a chance to make an eternal difference in their life and the lives of others around them.

A regret can turn into a blessing if you trust the Lord and the plans he has for your life.

Thanks for sharing that and sorry to hear about your Mom....

My Wife has bravely battled stage 4 cancer for three years and the Chemo has ravaged her....

I am taking time off from work to be with her and make some memories traveling in the RV I purchased in August. 

We just got back from a 2 week mini-vacation in the mountains. 

I can relate to this and it’s kind of backfired on me. Because of that feeling earlier in my life, I’ve turned into somewhat of a hoarder.  I never get rid of anything and now I have loads of shit I shouldn’t probably have. There isn’t a week that goes by that I don’t utter the words to my wife “this is only going up in value” lol. Maybe 10% of the time is it actually true. 
 

I try not to think about regrets. If I had to answer, I’d probably say getting married at 20 wasn’t the best decision. But, it’s positives probably out weigh the negatives..

Hoping you guys the very best. Travel as much as possible and make memories. It’s obviously not as hard as the person going through it themselves, but man, seeing someone you love go through those treatments and battling cancer is so hard. But you feel selfish in a way to even mention that because you know what they’re going through is way worse. Again, I’ll be thinking of you and I’d love for you to keep us all posted on where you’ve been traveling. I was thinking of creating a thread in here about lesser known vacation spots we could all discuss. Everyone knows the big ones. Yellowstone. Rocky Mountains. Beaches. Historical sites in the northeast. Etc. But there’s so many lesser known and way more affordable ones that are hidden gems I’m sure we’d all love to see.

Well, now you can do it again…but, maybe do an RD400? 

That Honda is BEAUTIFUL!!’