"What's your biggest regret from your teenage years?" –– This was today's burning question from Redditor TheBlackDemon1996, and it struck a chord.
The teenage years are brutal and frankly, we doubt most of us would bother to relive them again. It's such an uncertain time: You're busy trying to figure yourself out while on one hell of an emotional rollercoaster.
But you learn a lot about life and about yourself, so we're thankful to these people for sharing their stories.
"So determined..."
So determined to impress my classmates that I would stretch the truth so I could brag about myself. Now I realize most of them saw through it. If I could only go back, I would slap some duct tape across younger-me's mouth.
"That I didn't..."
That I didn't spend more time with my parents before losing them. (Mom when I was 19, Dad right before I turned 26.)
"I wish that I had taken..."
GiphyI wish that I had taken Mom up on her offer to teach me how to cook during those teenage years.
It would've been so helpful, both during college and beyond. It was a missed opportunity because she's a great cook and a natural teacher.
"As a wise woman..."
As a wise woman once said, I wasted all my thin years thinking I was fat.
"The more he cared..."
Cowardice.
I was so unsure of myself and awkward. I know that all teenagers struggle with this, but as I look back now from my 40s... that kid in high school had so much going for him, he just didnt know it. The more he cared about fitting in, the less he fit in, and the worse people treated him. Girls were like an alien species and the future was terrifying. But it didnt have to be.
"I was such a coward..."
I'm barely out of my teenage years, but I specifically really regret that I turned down romantic relationships.
I was such a coward about it. I cared more about how people would perceive me dating someone than actually dating that person (if that makes sense). I wish I hadn't cared about what people thought and just given those relationships a chance.
"I spent so much time..."
I spent so much time "waiting for something to happen". Like sitting on some steps outside of a house waiting for something to happen. Hanging out with people I did not really like waiting for something to happen. I feel like so much time was wasted waiting for something to happen, instead of doing something or "making things happen."
"I'm still too worried..."
I didn't stand up for myself enough. I'm still too worried about how people will react if I say no or refuse to do something.
"I kept refusing..."
Cliche but i lost a lot of friends due to excessive online gaming. I kept refusing to go out with them and socializing in general. Plus when college hit i didn't know how to talk to people and how to make friends (ongoing process).
"I missed out on some fun..."
I wish I had taken more risks. I worried about getting in trouble too much. I missed out on some fun because of that, and tried to play catch up when I was 19, which lead to me going a bit too hard through my twenties. I'm okay now, successful and doing well. But there's lot's of things I did in my 20's that I might not have done had I got it out of my system in my teens. I'm just lucky things turned out okay for me. 31 now.
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