This award comes with a unique twist - I'm to share some things about my past that I would change if I could. If this were real, I don't know if I would actually change anything (except #5). I like where my life has led me, so I wouldn't want to take the chance of messing that up. :)
Here we go...
1. I wish I could go back and be braver - especially in high school. I wish I'd submitted that poem for the yearbook - it really was pretty good. I wish I'd joined the band and the drama club - despite the fact I didn't know anyone in them. I wish I'd stood up to those teachers who gave the physics & phys ed awards to people with lower marks because they were 'boy subjects'.
2. I wish I could go back and take even more photos - of people who are gone and those incredible moments and images that make life special.
3. I wish I could go back and invent the Internet. Or Google. :)
4. I wish I could go back and not splash that poor man I soaked when I was learning how to drive and didn't realize how slowly you should go through really big puddles.
5. I wish I could go back and NOT put those perms in my hair. They were BAD. And, no, you can't see the photographs!
Because of the crazy chaos that has been my life lately - instead of linking to a select few, I'm going to offer this award up to everyone. The community of online writers and readers is truly amazing - I think we all deserve a treat with a cherry on top! So please, take the award with my blessing and pass it along. Life really IS good!
In the same spirit I'd like to pass along Jules' award. Jules created this to help us all celebrate each other! So thank you to each and every one of you - please take the award and pass it along yourself! :)
So, what would you change if you had the chance to go back? Any bad hair choices we should know about? :)
122 comments:
Congratulations on the awards!
Being able to go back and invent Google would be nice.
I can relate to #1. I wish I could go back and just be stronger at high school. Even though I was in the band, I was so meek that I just followed along.
Congrats on the award. I wish i could go back with the understanding I have now of certain friendships that drifted apart.
Your #2 is perfect. There are so many moments in life to capture that just pass by daily. However, making a major change in life would lead me elsewhere, so I totally agree with you about keeping things the way they are.
Golden Eagle - thanks! And it sure would be fun to invent something big like that, wouldn't it? :)
Cheree - exactly - I joined several sports (and loved them!) but I wish I'd done more - got to know more people!
nope - not a thing. even the crap things taught me lots and who knows what I'd be like if I didn't get a few of those lessons pounded into me the hard way?
Laura - that's a really good one! I drifted apart from one person in particular - I'd love to be able to go back and correct that!
Katie - exactly - life is good. I wouldn't want to mess things up by going down a different path!
Jan - so true! Although I'm not sure what those perms taught me - maybe humility! :)
I would definitely have foregone the really BAD perm that inspired me to get a buzz cut! It really was THAT bad and there aren't any pictures! Aside from that ... I would be kinder and live in the moment more instead of always striving towards the next thing! And I would definitely take more pictures! Great post, Jemi! And we like who you've become too!
Beth - yikes! Your perm sounds worse than mine!! :)
You're a sweetie Beth - and your right - striving for those extra moments of kindness would be perfect!
Gee, I think I'd be nicer to people in several moments of my life. When we're stressed out we often forget to think about how others feel, and how they'll receive (feel about) what we say and do.
Thanks for the linkage, Jemi! I got a spiral perm right before my senior year of high school. It was horrid. After two months, I ran to my "real" stylist and begged her to fix it. She straightened it and said that it should hold until the next time I did something stupid to it. *Sheepish grin* I've not gotten any variation of the word "perm" since.
Mari - that's a really good one! Being nicer and kinder is never a waste! Good choice :)
E - you're so welcome!
It seems like high school was the time for perms! We should maybe make it a rule that no one should dare try one at that time of their lives! :)
Congrats on a well deserved award.
I wouldn't change anything I have had good and bad times in my life but I feel lucky to be who and what I am, some people are worse off than I.
Yvonne.
Congrats on the award! Yay!
It would be nice to have invented Google! :)
Yvonne - thank you :)
I feel the same - I would do some tweaking, but I wouldn't make any major changes - life should be lived to the best of our abilities at the time!
Talli - it most definitely would have been nice! We could spend all the time we liked on our writing :)
I like #2. You can never have too many photos of the people you care about. Even if I could go back in time, I still wouldn't know how to invent Google. But I hope that I would buy a ton of Google stock instead.
Anita - I agree - photos are so special! I've got dozens of albums, but there's never enough of people who are gone.
I wouldn't have a clue either - but I'd love to learn!
I definitely had my share of bad hair styles. The 80's were particularly heinous with regard to my variety of hair don'ts.
But, overall, even with the really bad stuff I've lived through, and the mistakes I've made, I wouldn't change anything. I love my life and I wouldn't be where or who I am without living the life I've lived.
Not even the perms or the flock of seagulls hair choices.;)
Oh...and CONGRATS on your well deserved awardage! :)
I can relate to all of these except for #4! Haven't splashed anyone but, oh, those perms! Hours in hours in the salon chair to get a spiral perm is something I would change if I could.
Thanks Lola - I feel pretty much the same - although those 80s dos were pretty darn scary!! They do give us some pretty good laughs though, so I guess they were worth it! :)
Lynn - there sure was a huge amount of collective time spent in those chairs. Imganie what we could have accomplished without them! :)
I once had a perm (horrific!!)done and never, ever, ever, ever again. EVER!!!! Never!!!!! That was the last time I let a hairdresser talk me into a hairstyle ever again!! LOL!!!
CONGRATULATIONS with your fab awards!!! And thank you for sharing too! take care
x
Old Kitty - it scares me when I look back and realize I had those scary perms for years! What in the world was I thinking!
Thanks :)
Congrats on your awards, Jemi!! :-)
Go back? I barely escaped high school the first time - not a chance.
Congratulations - and you've been missed.
Congratulations!
Wish I would've listened harder and paid more attention when older relatives talked about family history and "the good old days."
Donna V.
http://donnasbookpub.blogspot.com
I wish I had listened to my mom more and taken her advice. I wish I hadn't procrastinated my writing (which I am still procrastinating so clearly I haven't learned anything in that dept.) And I'm with you on the perms-- ugh! Perms and short hair made me always look horrible.
Thanks Alex - you're so sweet! It's been crazy chaotic lately - I'm hoping it all slows down soon.
I wouldn't go back to high school either - no one should have to do that twice!
Donna - thanks!
That's a good one! There's so much family history that disappears over the years. I just heard something new from my mom the other day. Another good memory :)
Karen - me too! I'm never going to do that to my hair again! Hideous stuff.
Procrastination is such a common problem, isn't it? :)
Super number 4.
I have lots of the same, especially 1. But like you said, better not mess around with the past, because life is amazing as it is.
Nahno ∗ McLein ™
Nahno - thanks! I think of that poor man I splashed every time I drive by the spot - and it's been years and years!
I agree - better to not mess with fate - take life in all its wonder as it comes! :) thanks for dropping by :)
Congrats, Jemi!
I wish I could go back and invent the internet too :)
Wendy - thanks!
Wouldn't it be fun to responsible for all this fun? :)
Congratulations hon!
What would I change? I would of realized a whole lot sooner that my deafness didn't define me.
I would have take writing more serious and a whole lot sooner. I worked so much of my life away and forgot to remember to take time for me. I do try to do that now. (Hugs)Indigo
Indigo - thanks!
It's so hard to take time for ourselves. I don't do that enough - but I'm getting better some days :) I don't know if I could have taken writing more seriously sooner - not sure where I would have found the time!
What a nice award, Jemi! Congratulations!
I'm with most who have said they wouldn't change anything because I've learned a lot about myself, others, and life in general through the good and bad times. However, I do wish that I had learned to speak up for myself at a younger age.
Suzie - thanks! I was thrilled to receive it! :)
That's a wish I can agree with whole-heartedly! I'm still learning to do it - I'm often a bit of a pushover :)
Bahaha! The puddles made me laugh! Poor guy.
Hmmmm....I'd like to say I wouldn't change a thing...but there were a few boys I wish I would have "kissed"
swinging by from the blogfest, and following to make sure I don't miss any of the good stuff.
The Survival Mama
That was an awesome list!! And yeah, where were my friends back in my perm era?? I mean, I already have curly hair, did I really think a PERM was the answer to making it look better??? Oh, and don't get me started on the time I decided the perm was bad, cut it all off, then had a friend shave, with a Bic razor, the bottom half (yeah, really, gah!!!) because it was still too frizzy...
erica
Survival Mama - (very cool name, btw!) - thanks!
I've always felt so bad about splashing that man! And I love your addition! Perfect :)
Um, I totally agree on the no-perms-in-the-past choice. And I'm not showing pictures, either.
;)
Erica - Yikes!!! That is a terrifying horror story!! I have pin-straight, fine, blonde hair. Doesn't look so good when you have to perm it FOREVER to get the perm to hold. Not a pretty sight!
Where were our friends indeed? :)
Lydia - perfect - we can all make a pact! Perm photos are NEVER to be revealed!! :)
I've not only shared my perm pics on Facebook, I shared one in which I was *blonde*. Truthfully, I'm fine with having the blonde perm all those years ago, but I wish I could take back posting the photos. What was I thinking?
VR - you are a very brave lady!!!! And I can totally understand wanting those photos back! :)
I've been blessed with a very short memory - but I'm sure I have a few ex's in my past that could nominate some things I should go back and change.
:-)
If I changed something I wouldn't be who and where I am today and might be worse off. I don't want to gamble on that.
Lee
Tossing It Out
Congrats on the awards!
Interesting meme. I think a couple of things on my list would match yours. :)
Congratulations on the award!
I'm with you on number one; I was too timid at school.
Charmaine - love it! It's kinda nice having a rotten memory sometimes, isn't it? :)
Lee - exactly! I wouldn't take the risk in the real world either! :)
Elizabeth - thanks! I wonder if you suffered through the perm stage too! :P
Ellie - thanks! It's surprising how many writers were very shy or quiet in high school. There's gotta be some kind of connection in there somewhere!
Congrats on your awards! I had a horrible perm in middle school, so bad my nickname was Brillo Pad. So sad. :(
I like this - perhaps especially the puddle one. Poor man! I'm sure he'd appreciate your explanation, though, and the fact that you're still feeling bad for it :)
Oooh I like the idea of being braver, especially back in HS. Sticking up for myself, others, and what I believe is right.
I remember perms... Between that and bleaching my hair, it's a wonder I have any brain cells left.
I'd just like to go back and be a nicer person.
Congrats on the sweet award!!
I would go back and work on 'me' sooner. Self esteem, etc. & not be a follower. Although I didn't get into any trouble, I also didn't stand up for myself.. until just a couple of years ago infact. Sad, I know. Thank goodness my boys stand up for themselves (& me sometime.. they are so good to me).
Thanks for another great post that made me think and Feel so many things just now!!
HUGS,
Coreen xoxoxo
Cool awards. CONGRATS!
congrats. If I could go back I'd worry less ;)
Susan - yikes! That sounds pretty bad! I'm sorry if I'm laughing - but that's a wild nickname! :)
Cruella - I still feel so bad! It's funny how a thing like that can stick with you for so long!! :)
Lisa Gail - I wish I could have been braver. I spent SO much time worrying about things and then never actually doing them! So silly.
Diane - I kind wonder if I can blame those perms for my terrible memory for faces!! :)
Being nicer is always a good wish :)
Coreen - thanks! :) You're so sweet!
My kids stand up for themselves much better than I do - even now! At least I was able to somehow help them do that even though I'm not a great role model for that!
Susanne - thanks! I was thrilled to get it :)
Lynda - thanks!
That's a great one! In fact I wish I could worry less NOW - and a whole lot less then! :)
Hey Jemi, nice to meet you *waves*. I love the name of your blog! LOL, inventing Facebook perhaps :)
Hugs,
Rach
Rachael - hi! nice meeting you too! :) Thanks!
Inventing FB would be a great one too! :)
Congratulations on the award Jemi!
So nice of you to apologise to puddle guy - I've been splashed a few times myself.
I wish I could go back with a digital camera and takes a lot more photos :-)
Deniz - thanks :)
A digital camera would have helped me enormously! Money was tight for a while there and I worried about the cost of developing so didn't take nearly enough pics!
Congrats on the award! And I'm with you on the wish-I-could-have-been-braver one!
congrats on the awards, Jemi!:)
Ha. Don't even get me started on HAIR!
I wish I could go back and be more confident. I wish I gave myself a chance to write. But I am who I am because I was such a spaz.
Congratulations on the award.
Yes, to #1. Well, yes to #2 also. Oh and the hair business. Maybe I'll just say yes to all of them and get it over with.
Love the award.
I nailed a few people by driving through large puddles of water. Got a crowd waiting by the bus. I made a wall of water that drenched them. Since the bus stop was enclosed it splashed back on them in a riccochet manner. Not a cool thing to do but funny at the time.
I pretty much agree with all of these!
I did the perm thing too, from 1989 to 1992. My poor hair. I used the cheap stuff from the drugstore and did it myself, always wondering what that burning smell was...
I would probably go back and try to be more financially responsible. It's not a big deal until you have next to nothing...then it's a pretty big deal. :)
Perms - done those too. Argh! Chop off, grow long, chop off, grow long. I need to make up my mind. :)
Lisa ~ YA Literature Lover
I'd change what I went to grad school for. I had a few of those perms ... Was it the 80's? Lots of bad hair choices to be made then.
Rachel - thanks! There are a lot of us who really weren't all that brave in high school - gotta be a connection somewhere in there!
Thanks Dez! :)
Theresa - you crack me up! I wasn't brave enough to do a lot of things, but I guess it all turned out okay anyway! :)
C Lee - lol :) A lot of us seem to have made some pretty bad hair decisions over the years!
Stephen - that shouldn't make me laugh - but it did! Those poor people! They must have been ticked off at you! :)
Jennifer - that sent chills down my spine! That burning smell was so NOT good - but we kept on doing it!!!
Lisa - so true - hair is such a tough thing to get right! And it's such a scary thing to take risks with :)
M Pax - we should almost rename the 80s to the bad hair decade! There were so many horrific styles!!!
I would change where I chose to go to college and the major I chose. And, of course, #3. ;)
Congratulations on your awards, Jemi! I'd probably like to go back and invent Google, too!
Oh, hairstyles of the past, how I regret you. Pudding basin at age three in particular--so many photographs, so little time...
I wish I knew the secret to getting 98 people to comment. Congrats on the award. May all your bad hair days be only memories.
Nancy
N. R. Williams, The Treasures of Carmelidrium
Emy - I bet you're not alone in that wish! I know a lot of people who would like to do the same :)
Carol - thanks! It would have been a good one to create :)
Amie - exactly!! Why were the hair choices so bad!! :)
Nancy - I do have a lot of sweet friends :)
Thanks! That may be the nicest wish yet -thank you! :)
We think so much alike! I agree about not changing things for fear of messing up what I now have. :)
But I would have started writing sooner, and taken more writing classes in college (instead of just literature).
I love the things you listed about taking more photos and submitting your poem. I wish I would've kept a journal in high school.
I'd like to go back and tell the boy who asked me out, "Yes."
Love this idea of going back and changing things!
Those are great, and congrats on your awards! Your perm comment made me laugh. I had a few unfortunate perms when I was in middle school and high school - mostly thanks to Jennifer Grey (remember Dirty Dancing) and my best friend, both whom could carry off perms. All I can carry off is frizz.
what a great post! I love learning more about you. And wishing you were braver really hit a nerve with me. YES! I so wish I was braver in high school!
I also wish I hadn't just scarfed the whole package of chocolate hearts.
Janet - so true! I didn't start writing until just recently - but I don't think I really had time before this anyway! :) I agree on the classes - even as an English major, I only have one creative writing class - that's all that was available! :)
Paul - yes! I did keep a journal for a while, but I burned them all one night! In some ways I wish I still had them - in others, I'm glad they're gone! :)
Elana - it is fun to wonder what it would be like now with those changes! :)
Caryn - exactly!! I do indeed remember dirty dancing & yup I got the frizz too. :) So sad when there were some perms that looked good out there!
Terry - love it! :) There are a few scarfing incidents I'd love to go back to change as well!
Jemi! Congrats on the award! This is such a FUN award! You're so sweet in awarding it to everyone. It'd make a great blogfest, wouldn't it? ;) I'll think about turning it into one for our Crusaders!
Take care and enjoy your weekend!
♥.•*¨ Elizabeth ¨*•.♥
Elizabeth - it is a fun one!! :)
That's a good idea - it would be great for a 'fest!
You have the perfect attitude...our experiences have made us who we are today. But I'd back off on the perms I got also. I have very big hair in my wedding photos. Shudder.
Julie - exactly! My wedding picture is most definitely NOT a thing of beauty! Bad hair to plague me for a very long while! :)
Awesome list. I may have to do one of these, since you've passed it on to everyone. =) Thanks for hanging out at my blog, btw. Appreciate the support.
Nichole - thanks! I think you should! It's fun to see what everyone has to say!
I enjoy your blog - just wish I could get to everyone more often! :)
#2 really resonated with me. I wish I had more pictures! More high school and especially college. But mostly, I wish I had more pictures of me with my loved ones and friends who have passed. Other than that, I wouldn't change a thing. Not even the bad perms - those were in when we had them, Jemi! Now, if we'd had them two years ago...
Jennie - that's it exactly. I've lost some very special people and I'd love to have more photos of them.
I guess you're right! They were in style at the time - it's just so scary looking back!!! :)
dunno if i'd change much... else i'd not have my three kids!
Laughing Wolf - exactly! I'd never take the risk of changing anything for real ... except maybe those perms :)
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