I regret my youth

I spent so much time playing video games, browsing the internet and watching TV and videos and DVDs. Hey, those of you sniggering! I did grow up in the nineties.

There's nothing wrong with any of them, in an of them themselves, but the issue with all of them is you can easily become addicted to them and I did. I wish I would have read more books and learned more things instead of spending so much time having fun.

Now I'm 37 I would have rather have spent my time learning the guitar or learning things from books, that information or skill would be very useful at this stage. The memories of fun I had with the games, the TV and the internet are almost like vapour that has vanished to nothing. They almost mean nothing anymore but I can still remember facts I learned years ago that serve me in good stead today and the little bits I did manage to learn on the guitar mean I can play better than someone who hasn't learned at all.

I also regret that I ate so unhealthily. I don't blame myself for the activities or the eating. I believe at lot of it was peer pressure, ignorance and lax parenting. I don't blame my parents either, both had come from poverty and were despite being quite intelligent like many parents at the time not at all aware of Autism or the challenges that would be posed by modern technology.

The eating I regret because I didn't develop my body as much as I could have. I ate too many processed foods like cheap sausages, Billy Bear luncheon meat, biscutis and cream crackers and hardly touched vegetables or whole cuts of meat or fish or legumes or wholegrains. Most men are taller than me, I didn't have the best fuel for building muscle and developing growth.

It's useless to feel bitter about it though. I only hope others can learn from my mistakes.

Parents
  • Hi Roswell

    Regret is pointless, and you're still young. You can't turn back time, but you can decide what you want to do with your time now. Your diet sounds really healthy - well done on changing that.

    I'm in my sixties now, and I've changed a lot over the years. I taught myself to play guitar at the age of 11, using a guitar tutor book to learn the chords. In my teens I liked to go out to gigs or the cinema. In my 20s I dabbled with artistic pursuits - writing, art and music creation. In my 30s I trained as a special needs teaching assistant, then a few years later I changed roles and got an accounting qualification. In my 40s I travelled abroad, did some Open University courses, and just before I turned 50 I trained as a Teacher of English as a foreign language, although the teaching didn't work out and I had to return to accounting.

    A few years later I experienced burnout, discovered I was autistic and had to decrease my working hours. Now, in my sixties, I'm a bit like you were in your youth - I love to play video games, read novels and research stuff on the internet. One of my favourite foods is a thin & crispy pizza (although I do have some salad with it, but I do actually like salad!) My life is as good, if not better, than its ever been. I do what I enjoy now, without worrying about if it's what I "should" be doing. Enjoy life as much as you can.

Reply
  • Hi Roswell

    Regret is pointless, and you're still young. You can't turn back time, but you can decide what you want to do with your time now. Your diet sounds really healthy - well done on changing that.

    I'm in my sixties now, and I've changed a lot over the years. I taught myself to play guitar at the age of 11, using a guitar tutor book to learn the chords. In my teens I liked to go out to gigs or the cinema. In my 20s I dabbled with artistic pursuits - writing, art and music creation. In my 30s I trained as a special needs teaching assistant, then a few years later I changed roles and got an accounting qualification. In my 40s I travelled abroad, did some Open University courses, and just before I turned 50 I trained as a Teacher of English as a foreign language, although the teaching didn't work out and I had to return to accounting.

    A few years later I experienced burnout, discovered I was autistic and had to decrease my working hours. Now, in my sixties, I'm a bit like you were in your youth - I love to play video games, read novels and research stuff on the internet. One of my favourite foods is a thin & crispy pizza (although I do have some salad with it, but I do actually like salad!) My life is as good, if not better, than its ever been. I do what I enjoy now, without worrying about if it's what I "should" be doing. Enjoy life as much as you can.

Children
  • How did you teach yourself to play guitar? It seems something totally beyond my comprehension, it's like when people say they taught themselves to read! Even with a book I found learning music to much, I just didn't understand it, but I've sinse realised that I don't have a musical bone in my body, I'm a rhythm free zone, I couldn't carry a tune in a bucket, let alone beat a drum or a triangle in time.

    I gave up should and ought a few years ago and I can honestly say I'm much better of for not having them in my life.