The Swamp

Jerloma wrote:When I was in high school, I never went to any formal dances except my senior prom only because my girlfriend insisted. It wasn't because I was unpopular or couldn't get a date. I really was trying to make some sort of statement about the herd mentality that plagues high school life. Looking back, I can honestly say that not one person gave a shit about my statement while they were out dancing and feeling each other up all night and I was home playing Nintendo. Man.

Cut your younger self a break. We all cringe over missteps of our youth. We didn't have experience yet and we're doing the best we could with limited resources.

Jerloma wrote:When I was in high school, I never went to any formal dances except my senior prom only because my girlfriend insisted. It wasn't because I was unpopular or couldn't get a date. I really was trying to make some sort of statement about the herd mentality that plagues high school life. Looking back, I can honestly say that not one person gave a shit about my statement while they were out dancing and feeling each other up all night and I was home playing Nintendo. Man...I hate the young me sometimes.

On occasion, I will have a memory of some stupid or sleazy thing that I did in my youth and will angrily blurt out "FUCK!"

Happened a couple of days ago, remembering this woman from my early 20s. Felt a quick burst of embarrassment and shame.

Which makes no sense. 22 year old me is a different person from 50 year old me. (Obviously).

But still have these moments when I wish I could go back and have a do over. Man, I was arrogant and pretentious.

I know. That happens to me all of the time. Sure, we've all done some stupid shit in our lives, but it's the times that I look back and realize that I didn't treat someone the right way that really stick with me. That and all of the times I passed up getting laid because I was too stupid to realize that's what was happening.

My big one is going through pretty much all of college in a serious relationship.

Eh, maybe you'd have the AIDS or a teenager or something, right? That's how this guy who has been single for about 6 months since he turned 18 looks at it.

Giff wrote:My big one is going through pretty much all of college in a serious relationship.

Same.

If we created a thread of the things we would tell our younger selves to avoid problems the damn server would crash from the volume.

mister d wrote:Eh, maybe you'd have the AIDS or a teenager or something, right? That's how this guy who has been single for about 6 months since he turned 18 looks at it.

I always think I would've had a kid or something, so that's what makes me feel better about it.

brian wrote:

Giff wrote:My big one is going through pretty much all of college in a serious relationship.

Same.

Same, but high school for me.

Jerloma wrote:I know. That happens to me all of the time. Sure, we've all done some stupid shit in our lives, but it's the times that I look back and realize that I didn't treat someone the right way that really stick with me. That and all of the times I passed up getting laid because I was too stupid to realize that's what was happening.

This. I don't regret much, if anything, that I did in my youth. Even the fuckups eventually became good stories and moments of growth. I used to regret a lot of things I didn't do, mostly in the dating/hooking up category, but I came to realize that you can't change the past, so it is pointless to dwell on it. You can take lessons from mistakes and missed opportunities, but beating yourself up over it or wondering "what if" is pointless torture.

For me, I lived in my head between Jr. High and somewhere in law school. I over thought everything, and instead of living in the moment, I thought about what I was going to say or do, how others would react to it and so on. Jr. High is a brutal time for most kids, trying to figure out who you are and what your place in the social hierarchy. I also saw kids get completely destroyed over fake rumors. One kid was stuck with the nickname and stigma through graduation, over a rumor that few, if any even believed.

govmentchedda wrote:

brian wrote:

Giff wrote:My big one is going through pretty much all of college in a serious relationship.

Same.

Same, but high school for me.

Does it count that all my friends thought I was getting laid all through high school? I dated one girl for two years and we did all but the penetration, but I just found that out recently they just assumed I was fucking and just didn't want to talk about it.

Giff wrote:they just assumed I was fucking and just didn't want to talk about it.

As a teenager they thought you wouldn't talk about this?


My lament is that I didn't try harder to build relationships with some of the woman I hooked up with. I was young and dumb. Except for the crazy first wife, I guess it all worked out though, eh?

A guy I was friends with in grades 9 & 10 recently got in touch with me via Facebook. Seemed a bit strange in his messages, but we met fior coffee today anyway.

I was sitting in Starbucks waiting when this homeless-looking guy came in. Grey beard to the middle of his chest, crazy greasy long hair. Clean clothes though. I see the guy and start praying that it's not my old friend, but it was.

Could carry a conversation, but clearly something was off - a Phd in Philosophy and a practising lawyer (with "very few" clients), he told me about a client who was threatening to kill him. Played with his hair when he spoke.

A stilted 45 minute conversation, and in the middle of it, the mother of one of my daughter's best friends came in. She looked over, saw me and waved and smiled, but the smile froze on her face and she looked horrified.

anyway, this guy remembered things we did together 35 years ago that I had no recollection of. (No, nothing like that). Luckily, he was off to his daughter's school recital (which he wasn't sure was open to parents), so he had to leave. But he said that we should have coffee again. I mumbled that I was busy for a while, but he pulled out a piece of paper to write down dates that I was available. Said I'd have to get back to him.

Man, we weren't even that good friends, and now I'm worried about a Cape Fear scenario.

jesus - he sent a message like an hour after we said goodbye.

In its entirety, it reads "cute teacher".

I am not happy about this.

Yeah, never hang out with lawyers.

Yikes!^^^^^^


We've had killdeer in our parking lot here at work for years (I can't believe sabo hasn't started a bird watching thread). There are these large patches of rocks separating some of the rows of parking spaces, and I guess there on the ground hidden among the rocks is an ideal nesting environment. For some reason, this year one of them nested about as close to the primary entrance as they get get without being in the road or on the sidewalk. The goofy thing is constantly leaving the nest trying to lead some unwitting human away from the eggs. I haven't seen it try the broken wing trick yet, though.

How do you throw out a trash can?

People in my neighborhood usually put a sign on it along the lines of "please take".

I put it inside the new trash can, then watched the guy think about it, then he saw me, then we laughed and he took it. My garage men are top notch guys.

govmentchedda wrote:

brian wrote:

Giff wrote:My big one is going through pretty much all of college in a serious relationship.

Same.

Same, but high school for me.

I pulled the double there. 3 years in hs, 5 in/after college. I was a stupid stupid kid.

So I'm assuming it's not the girl you married?

Mine would be to not go to an all-guys high school. Life would have been so much easier and so much more fun with girls in high school.

You would have slayed, Stan.

mister d wrote:I put it inside the new trash can, then watched the guy think about it, then he saw me, then we laughed and he took it. My garage men are top notch guys.

Giff wrote:

govmentchedda wrote:

brian wrote:

Giff wrote:My big one is going through pretty much all of college in a serious relationship.

Same.

Same, but high school for me.

Does it count that all my friends thought I was getting laid all through high school? I dated one girl for two years and we did all but the penetration, but I just found that out recently they just assumed I was fucking and just didn't want to talk about it.

She was saving herself for the Walking Dude?

tennbengal wrote:

Giff wrote:

govmentchedda wrote:

brian wrote:

Giff wrote:My big one is going through pretty much all of college in a serious relationship.

Same.

Same, but high school for me.

Does it count that all my friends thought I was getting laid all through high school? I dated one girl for two years and we did all but the penetration, but I just found that out recently they just assumed I was fucking and just didn't want to talk about it.

She was saving herself for the Walking Dude?

I know I should get this, but I don't.

We're actually really good friends now, even if she lives in Canada now. Our kiddos ended up in the same Little Gym class and they instantly became best friends. Based on her husband, she probably wishes she would've let me. She's a SVP at Spectra Energy making a ton of cash and her parents are sitting on land across from our new neighborhood that's probably worth a couple mil. I kinda still wish she had let me too!

Giff wrote:

tennbengal wrote:

Giff wrote:

govmentchedda wrote:

brian wrote:

Giff wrote:My big one is going through pretty much all of college in a serious relationship.

Same.

Same, but high school for me.

Does it count that all my friends thought I was getting laid all through high school? I dated one girl for two years and we did all but the penetration, but I just found that out recently they just assumed I was fucking and just didn't want to talk about it.

She was saving herself for the Walking Dude?

I know I should get this, but I don't.

We're actually really good friends now, even if she lives in Canada now. Our kiddos ended up in the same Little Gym class and they instantly became best friends. Based on her husband, she probably wishes she would've let me. She's a SVP at Spectra Energy making a ton of cash and her parents are sitting on land across from our new neighborhood that's probably worth a couple mil. I kinda still wish she had let me too!

Stephen King "The Stand" reference.

Giff wrote:We're actually really good friends now, even if she lives in Canada now. Our kiddos ended up in the same Little Gym class and they instantly became best friends. Based on her husband, she probably wishes she would've let me. She's a SVP at Spectra Energy making a ton of cash and her parents are sitting on land across from our new neighborhood that's probably worth a couple mil. I kinda still wish she had let me too!

I read this the same as "according to" for a bit, but now I think you mean "judging by", right? Or has he been like "man, she always tells me she wishes she let you put your D in her V"?

Good one, chedd!

Ryan wrote:Good one, chedd!

Yeah, it's really fucking with me too.

A_B wrote:

Ryan wrote:Good one, chedd!

Yeah, it's really fucking with me too.

One has a sig, and one does not.

Both.

always appreciate a Stand reference out of nowhere.

Pruitt's story deserves at least one more "Holy shit, that's terrible."

So yeah...holy shit, that's terrible.

Johnny Carwash wrote:Pruitt's story deserves at least one more "Holy shit, that's terrible."

So yeah...holy shit, that's terrible.

I've been staying away from Facebook and will do my best to passively disengage. I am still disturbed.

That white chick that was pretending to be the NCAAP leader needs one of 'Loma's "Africans" t-shirts.

P.D.X. wrote:That white chick that was pretending to be the NCAAP leader needs one of 'Loma's "Africans" t-shirts.

Me. You. Same thought.

Pruitt wrote: I've been staying away from Facebook and will do my best to passively disengage. I am still disturbed.

Holy shit, that's terrible. Did you meet at a Starbucks in your neighbourhood or near your workplace?

Other people's discomfort fuels me. If you wanted to move this to a separate thread I'd follow closely.

Johnny Hotcakes wrote:

Pruitt wrote: I've been staying away from Facebook and will do my best to passively disengage. I am still disturbed.

Holy shit, that's terrible. Did you meet at a Starbucks in your neighbourhood or near your workplace?

In the neighbourhood. Very vague about which street I live on, but really, how hard would it be to figure out.

In hindsight, I don;t think there's anything to be worried about in terms of danger... but I don't need some demented nuisance in my life.

Sounds harsh, but so be it.

Is there an existing Australia travel thread?

I could not find one using obvious key words, but I could have swore one existed.