10 Years

[DekuNut]

Imagine if you woke up in the morning and find out that it's December 1st, 2006. George W. Bush is partway through his second term. The highest grossing movie of the year was Pirates of the Caribbean 2. Twilight Princess is about a month old. You're ten years younger, but with all the memories and knowledge of the past decade that you now have to relive.
What would you do? Would you tell people? Keep silent about it? Would you change anything or live your life the same way it wen the first time?
This is something I think about sometimes. There are a lot of things that I've done (or haven't) that I regret, and I also miss simpler times. So I was wondering if anyone else ever thought about this, and what kinds of things people would do or change.
For me, I'd try to keep the first little while the same, but I'd be very different. Ten years ago, I was 10, extremely sheltered (mostly through my own doing), and awkward even among 10-year-olds. I'd have some minor tweaks here and there - starting to game a little earlier, try to avoid the internet-dependent stage I went through during late middle school - I'd probably start really changing things in high school. Put more focus on school and my grades. There are some people I kinda wish I'd kept in contact with who I have no way of contacting now. I'd probably even ask more people out - I doubt those relationships would've lasted, but I still regret being too nervous to ask some people out even when it was glaringly obvious that they were into me. A few relationships I wouldn't have. But I know not everything would go according to plan, and sometimes I just wonder what things I wouldn't consider that would change. Would my old friends still become friends with me since I'm not the person I was when I met them? Would I graduate high school early because of all the knowledge I have from graduating high school and going to college? I have no idea.

 

[Dio]

If I was given the choice. Carry on as things are or go back in time 10 years. I'd carry on as things are. But if I was sent back against my will. I wouldnt do things exactly the same way.

I made my two BFF's in 2006. That is one thing I wouldn't change. I'm happy with my choice there.

I was generally quite shy at that age but I'd be a lot more confident going back especially with girls, of whom I later found out a lot actually liked me in school. There is also a relationship I definitely wouldn't have agreed to this second time round.

I'd get better grades. I've never been a hard worker academically because I wasn't challenged up until the age of 16 when I did A levels. A levels stand for 'Ard. 'Arder than university that's for damn sure, and up until A levels all school is ****ing piss easy. So of course I thought I would take the same approach with them as I had with everything else prior and still get top grades. That didn't work out in the end. So I'd put some effort in if I could do them again.

I'd like to have done more sports and ate decent food. I was unwell as a child and didn't eat much after it took a very long time to actually have a decent food intake. My diet was **** and as a result I was a very small and skinny child because of it so until later on I didn't have the ability to physically beat bullies but I definitely would have liked to have gotten into that sooner. It's really the best thing you can do to them. None of this namby pamby tell a teacher ****.

 

[Woyogoyo]

I'd stay quiet about it, but troll people with future knowledge. Also, stock market and lottery numbers.

 

[pyjamas5189]

I wouldn't bother getting excited about lost! I would probably keep quiet but maybe rethink some of my life choices maybe not get into as much debt. Try and meet my bf earlier (although I didn't know our mutual friend at the time)

 

[WinterWolf]

Would probably not try to change things, I would just go with the flow. See what happens that's different.

While I'm definitely not "sheltered" I don't think my life is particularly hard in the sense that I could change it to be easier. Most things are out of my control, no matter what year it is of how old I am. So going back in time could only change the two things I absolutely regret.

Would probably try to fit in more. I know that's kind of taboo but I sometimes feel like if I had pursued gymnastics or had tried out in middle school, I could have learned to get along with people. But instead I beat myself over my body which cost me my health and my physical ability to communicate, since I damaged my vocal cords.

Though, I would have more fun with my 16 year old mind inside of a 6 year old body than really try to change things.

 

[Moonstone]

I wouldn't change much. Probably study harder and waste less time on people who I would know won't be in my life 10 years later. Maybe show my family a little more kindness.

 

[Misty]

Wouldn't watch lost and several other shows.
Wouldn't make some big mistakes with guys.
Would triple major English, Philosophy, and Business.
Would pressure my older brother into some stuff I didn't because I wanted to let him make his own choices.
Would cut my parents more of a break with their life choices and marriage.

 

[Justac00lguy]

I wouldn't put so much effort into wanting to move to New Zealand for a start. I pushed so many things away because I was like "duh I don't need anything, I'm moving to new zealand so **** everything happening right now". It's only really in hindsight I can think like this because at the time I was completely oblivious and so dead set stubborn on where I wanted to go. I pushed a lot of good good friends away, some of my family, relationships (well only one I really cared about), university etc.

I have some incredible experiences and I've grown up much by moving so far away at this age, but it just fees like there's an empty hole. 10 years ago that hole was moving here, but now it's everything I already had. I've had some ****ing great times the year or so I've been here; literally have the craziest stories, made some really great friends from so many nationalities, did so much stuff I've never done before, been able to work in a business, been able to do my own independent tennis coaching thing. On paper, in my mind, everything should be fine but it just feels empty in a way. I tend to be a positive person and I preach it, but I'll never really get anything that I let go back and even if I do it won't exactly be the same.

 

[Vanessa28]

The only thing I would do is spend even more time with my mother and coworker who both passed away not that long ago. My mom already got struck by alzheimers at that time. I rather wouldn't go back 10 years ago but if I have to, I would spend as much time with them both as I could (not that I didn't spend anytime with them already back then)

 

[Beauts]

Hmm... ten years ago I was twelve. I was in year eight, I had a fairly tight knit group of friends, I was doing really well at school.

What would I change over the past ten years?

I'd want to enjoy myself more. I wish I'd taken more risks and ****ed around more as a teenager. I was very studious. I mean, I had friends and I did have fun, but I was always too scared to get into trouble at school or at home, and I also let others around me sway me too much in terms of like, trying to compete with people's grades. I'd have done better both academically and personally if I'd just done things my own way.

I'd have stayed away from certain people who made my life miserable in my mid-teens. I would have made other, better friends who didn't take themselves so seriously.

I'd have tried to mend bridges with my sister as a teenager. We have long-standing issues that go beyond that but I wish we could have resolved them before adulthood.

If I'd had knowledge of the events of my mum's illness and the fall out of her operation, which triggered my first mental breakdown, I probably would have handled things differently. I'd want to put less pressure on myself. I was only 17 but I was forcing myself to be an adult because my older siblings were too busy fighting among themselves to help me. I should have dumped more of the load on them and not felt guilty about it. That breakdown changed who I was. I was a pretty happy person before then and that put me on the road to not doing as well as I could have at A Levels, having a second breakdown a year and a half later which had me drop out of uni and since then I've been unable to stick to anything very long or figure out what to do with myself.

 

[Mido]

I find this question difficult to answer from my own perspective since life at the time on my end was going all right. It was not until the next year when things got a bit sticky, but I digress. If I were to do anything differently ten years ago, I perhaps would have tried picking up the piano again, or learned guitar; I dunno, some sort of instrument! Perhaps I could have gotten started at Taekwondo a year early, or practice basketball, a sport I didn't really appreciate as much like I do now. Honestly, it's a ton of small things, but I would attempt to make sure I stay more level-headed and confident, something I don't necessarily have today, I'm afraid!

 

[Pen]

Going back 10 years to when I was 11... I'd honestly much rather go back maybe 7 years instead. Overall I haven't got much to complain about in my life, but the 2006/2007 era was really bad for me, so I'd really not like to go back and relive that. If I had to though, I would manage of course since I know I made it through it all. Anyway, having spent a lot of time learning things it'd be easy going through life again. I wouldn't have to spend the same amount of time on homework for example. I'd also be able to get into certain things earlier than I actually did, and perhaps try befriending some of my closest friends earlier if possible. I wouldn't be telling people about my memories of the future, except for maybe the very few ones who are the very closest to me. Although let's face it, who would actually believe me?

 

[Jamie]

I'd be very, very rich by investing in major stocks (Apple, Google) and buying bitcoins. Maybe put all my money on Leicester winning.

 

[the8thark]

I'd be very, very rich by investing in major stocks (Apple, Google) and buying bitcoins. Maybe put all my money on Leicester winning.

I would put on Trump winning the election the day he announced he was running for it. Make a lot of bank.

 

[Jamie]

I would put on Trump winning the election the day he announced he was running for it. Make a lot of bank.

Odds weren't nearly as low as leicester winning which was probably the biggest upset in modern history in anything ever, but definitely sports history. 5000-1 odds. I can't imagine the people who put $10 on their team every year and won $50,000.