Wish I Had Known That When I Was Younger......

[Bfan53again]

Some high school buddies and I finally arranged a long-overdue get together (we graduated HS in 1970.....stop the snickering!).

We met at a local pub (where else?) and had some great conversations over numerous pitchers of beer (imagine that..... ).

Sometime during our stories we starting talking about things we wish we knew when we were younger. I thought that might make a great BN thread so here were a couple of our thoughts:
> Being stood up by your prom date is not the end of the world
> After you graduate, your GPA means crap
> Worrying about anything never helps
> What's inside you, your personality and beliefs, is so much more important than your looks
> Smoking isn't cool and it does kill
> Belief in yourself is necessary for success in anything

Anyone care to add to the list??????

[SchoolGirlHeart]

> Never fail to say "I love you"... Your friends and family are not invincible and you never know when it might be the last time.

[carolinapiratechik]

I didn't know it all.

Close your mouth and open your ears.

[JollyMon66]

Bill Gates or Steve Jobs...I should have borrowed $10,000 and went to the west coast looking for these guys rather than going to college in the early 80s.

[nutmeg]

You need to make the effort to keep in touch with your friends. (in the days of facebook, maybe this is no longer a problem) but I never realized that I would never see some of my high school friends again after graduation. I stayed here in Michigan and many of them scattered to the winds.

I didn't have issues with my parents (In fact I was still happily at home when they retired and moved north) but from observation of others who thought their parents could do no right...they regret those "lost" years if they lose their folks while still relatively young.

[big john]

A man marries a woman, thinking she won't change, and she does.
A woman marries a man, thinking he will change, and he doesn't.

[citcat]

Here's what I learned:
Just because you are very popular and cool in high school, doesn't mean you stay popular and cool. More often than not, you do NOT.

And conversely, just because you are a geek wallflower no-dating, no-going-to-prom painfully shy person in high school doesn't mean you stay that way. Hardly. Personal experience. Some people are late bloomers. High school is NOT the way to define your life.
The end.

[surfpirate]

Skip class a little more often ... go surfing and suffer the consequences. "The pleasure is worth all the pain".

Oh! And tell cheerleader Karen to dump that jock idiot boyfriend
and that you the surfer geek and her spanish study partner, have a huge crush on her,
and will still have a crush on her 30 years later.
(DID I SAY THAT OUT LOUD?)

[SchoolGirlHeart]

> Ask older family members about family history. What I wouldn't give for a few hours with my grandparents, to ask questions.

[MrTwain]

If you want girls to like you, stop "acting" and start "being".

[pair8head]

I could have sworn I posted this already.

If you have any elder relatives who make a particular dish you are extremely fond of.

Ask them for the recipe now.

[pietaster]

A line from The Faces song Ooh La La, from the album of the same name released in 1973:

I wish that I knew what I know now, when I was younger

[Bfan53again]

I could have sworn I posted this already.

Maybe you did.......were you the one former classmate I couldn't name???????

[sonofabeach]

oh I got a few but.....too bad this is a family board

[sunseeker]

You don't have to have the "traditional" life to be happy (marriage and kids)
Don't be afraid to challenge yourself -emotionally, physically, intellectually
Following your dreams is not selfish

[johnson2113]

I could have sworn I posted this already.

If you have any elder relatives who make a particular dish you are extremely fond of.

Ask them for the recipe now.

Right on the money with that one. There's seven grandkids and only me and my sister like my grandpa's macaroni and cheese. Unfortunately there is no recipe for it, he just put it together, each time a little different yet the same. Dad's done an excellent job of recreating.

[PHarmGirl]

Don't hold grudges and don't keep score, it hurts you more than anybody else.
Everybody is human and makes mistakes, even those you love!

[PHarmGirl]

Keep a journal ... I don't but WISH I HAD ... especially when my kids were small!

[SMLCHNG]

Here's what I learned:
Just because you are very popular and cool in high school, doesn't mean you stay popular and cool. More often than not, you do NOT.

And conversely, just because you are a geek wallflower no-dating, no-going-to-prom painfully shy person in high school doesn't mean you stay that way. Hardly. Personal experience. Some people are late bloomers. High school is NOT the way to define your life.
The end.

Exactly my thoughts!!!!!

[SMLCHNG]

> Ask older family members about family history. What I wouldn't give for a few hours with my grandparents, to ask questions.

Uh huh... I had a set of 'old' grandparents, and a set of 'young/fun'.... but both were kinda scary when I was young. Old folks are so awesome!!!