What would you do over?

After marring my husband last year I moved into the house he had been renting for a few years. In the first couple of months of our marriage a neighbor who was also a fellow high school student of my husbands would show up unexpected at our home. Even though I enjoyed his company I quickly became irritated with his unannounced visits. I never said anything but I made it clear with my body language that I was not comfortable with is random visits. Shortly after he moved to New York to peruse a career in motion picture filming he ended his life by stepping in front of a subway car. Even though I don't know exactly why he decided to end his own life I feel like he was lonely and needed a friend. If I could 'do over' that short time he was visiting our home I would have reached out to him more. More than just being friendlier to him I would have introduced him to my friend Jesus.

All of it ...

As a psychotherapist working with child abuse issues, I thought that many children could not appropriately go through "passages" in their lives if they were going through some sort of child abuse. I worked with a group of adults who had been abused as children, and had them "go through" important developmental stages from birth to adult. Used play therapy,art and dramatic activities. They said it was very helpful. Described it in a presention for "Association for Study of Play" in their yearly convention held in Charleston, SC. some years ago. I also know how damaging teachers' attitudes can be, as I taught 1st grade prior to my going back to graduate school, and I personally saw another teacher intimidate those she did not like. I was so rewarded when I googled a child I had taught over 30 years ago and found out that he had become an artist. I e-mailed him and he answered with kind and appreciative words thanking me for encouraging his art abilities after he had a negative kindergarten experience.

I would do over Microbiology in college. I didn't really focus on the studies and I think now I'd really like to know some of that information.

I would do over my college career, I would have liked to start out in a better place and achieve more of my goals. I guess I could actually do that over, it will just cost a lot. I do have howover many years left...I hope at least.

I would do over the whole of 6th grade. My teacher thought it was necessary to bump me up into the 2 year accelerated math even though I was 3 months into the school year and already failing 1 year accelerated. Trying to catch up was terrible. I did, but it ruined my year and I still cant do basic math!

I don't know how you would do this over, but right before my sister and I hit puberty my mom suggested that we go skinny dipping at the campground beach. Of course after a couple minutes a big group of people show up including several teenage boys. Our swim suits were on the beach.

My freshman year of high school. I could have played sports or done other things to get involved, but I didn't and it carried through for the next 4 years. I would definitely go back and be more proactive.

High school calculus class. I would probably still nearly fail, but at least I would be able to go back knowing how much it really doesn't matter!

I would start auditioning for theatre productions the moment I started college.

I would do over my entire 7th grade to get better grades and make better choices.

I would go back and DO OVER my junior prom. It didn't go at all the way I wanted, and it could have been so much fun

I would go back and get dessert.

I once trapped a squirrel in a cage. The squirrel -- we called him Rascal -- had been visiting my family for weeks, sitting on our knees, eating nuts from our hand. I tried to trap it in the backyard on an afternoon when I was at the house by myself. Must have been about eight.

Smart squirrel. He wouldn't allow himself to be trapped. And he never came back.

And I never told anybody.

And I regret it to this day.

All the bad, short haircuts and attempts to style them with a florescent gel and the curling iron! It looked ridiculous, not at all edgy like I intended.... Yearbook pictures would've been halfway decent if I had just ....done nothing.

I would DO OVER the first day of seventh grade--1976. This time I would wear Levis with a big comb in my back pocket instead of my generic flare legs. Then I'm sure I would have been popular!

I would DO third grade OVER. I spent most of the school year crying in the nurse's office, (not) sick with the mumps, a tummy ache, an ear ache, a head ache, or any other "fakeable" illness.

Why? I was so MAD because I had a new teacher (not Mrs. Sjowall, whom I'd had for two years) and my very best friend in the whole wide world was not in my class (for the first time ever!)

I was traumatized to the point of childhood hypochrondriacism (is there such a word?).

If I could, I would DO OVER that year, accepting that change really can do a body, a life, a mind good.

Maybe then, I wouldn't have had to learn that lesson when I was 40. Wow.

My 30s. (Now 39.)

E

I wouldn't have sung Kiss On My List at the top of my lungs to a girl I didn't know who was sitting with her mother in a crowded Burger King at lunchtime. I would have chosen You Are So Beautiful.

Oh where to start. I threw up on my desk in second grade. If only I wouldn't have been too shy to tell the teacher I was sick so I could to the nurse's office, or even if I would have just run out the the room! I didn't come back to school for two weeks I was so embarassed.