What other paths could your life have taken?

[Independent voter]

I would like to be an auto mechanic, or perhaps a food cart vendor.

[kasuke06]

I could have died that time I got hit by a bus, or the times I was set on fire, or electrocuted, or that time I had a 108 fever, or the time I made my own fireworks. Going theory is that I'm either invincible, or under some kind of gypsy curse. Which is odd because I'm pretty sure I haven't pissed any gypsies off.

[Ghostpanther]

Well, one of crime and hatred , poverty, would have been one choice I could have taken. But other than some personal regrets, I am happy with the path I did take. Considering how most of my young life was living in hunger and poverty and to have what I do now, I feel very blessed.

[Ghostpanther]

If I had remained in the army I'd probably have been a Major right now.

Doing upper management in a software company now instead, much more freedom and money, but I sometimes like to think of how life would've been like as a longtime military officer.

I have a son who is a Major in the Army. It is a hard life if you are married with kids. He is on assignment now in Afghanistan for a year. Single however, it can be great and you can retire with 20 years and if you are a Major or Lt. Colonel, you will get a very nice retirement at a potential young age of 40 - 50 years old.

[Adam Jensen]

Could have been born a plant.

Got some sun and water for a few months. Made some seeds. Froze to death.

Wouldn't have to pay bills I guess.

[Aoyi]

I almost had a career in the music industry until the stock market crashed. I was signed to a label, recording our first major cd, flown out to LA for our photo shoots and setting up press and then it was gone. The record company went under. The band was already going through some rough times between the members, so the experience broke us. It wasn't the first label to approach us, so we might have gotten another contract, but we were just done at that point. I miss it, but at the same time, I'm married now and happy to be with my wife. I don't know that I'd have her if I had gone off touring. I've also ran into some major health issues this past year and a half that I probably wouldn't have survived if I had been living that lifestyle when I was diagnosed.

So its fun to think of what might have happened, but I don't regret where I am.

[zoefschildpad]

Are you a vegan?

Not even slightly. I'm probably missing an enzyme.

[Faenskap]

So many possibilities!

When I was 16, I really hated the school I went to, so instead of changing schools, I spent 1 year in England as an exchange student. Met someone in WoW, and rather than returning to my old school and finish the last year, I moved to his area, and did school for two more years (a bit of a waste). If I hadn't gone to England, I would have been done with school at the normal time, and after that, who knows? Might not have been in a good place. Sadly, my stay in England wasn't really a positive experience and I sort of regret having done that.

When I was done with school, I had my eyes set on Norse and Celtic studies, though despite applying twice, I never got accepted, which is a shame. I pictured taking a semester or two in the Faroe Islands, learning Faroese (my favorite language), and when done with a Bachelor's and Master's degree, who knows? It's not a field where jobs are thrown at you, but at the time I didn't care.

I did try university, other courses than my beloved Norse and Celtic studies but never felt it. In the end, I guess I'm not the one for long-term projects, and I do enjoy practical stuff more. Though who knows if I'd stayed?

Long-term projects... Well, once more I met someone in WoW. Just think if I hadn't join oQueue for some low rated RBGs that particular night, I might not have been married today, and with a child. Don't mind being married, but it turns out children aren't really my type of thing. Sometimes I think it would have been better if I hadn't played that night. I live in the husband's country now (why it is always me that end up doing the moving? :| ) but looking to move back to Norway

These days I feel I'm lagging behind compared to others around my age. I'm about to start driving lessons now at age 25, but I'd like to think I could have had it earlier if the partner in the 1st relationship had been a bit more supportive ("I learned how to drive by driving on fields" he informed me, "Can I drive on fields too, I'd like to drive?" "No"). I also feel living different places have left me with shittier pension outcome for the future, and I still don't have any education, but I'd like to start an apprenticeship to drive these big machines (excavator and the likes) but it's a long-term project.. :P

Life could have been better, could have been worse. It is what it is, and playing Captain Hindsight doesn't help, though it's fun to entertain what other outcomes could have been

[HumbleDuck]

I think the only thing I didn't do and would probably change my life was to mov e to far east due to some career stuff, I'd probably be living there by now.
I can't say I'm unhappy with my choice though.

[mittacc]

Instead of being an engineering student I could've either become a professional race car driver or an addicted alcoholic without a degree from secondary shcool and probably be a truck driver or something like that.

[Deleted]

Me and @GennGreymane almost started a business together selling tube socks.

But as seen in the documentary about our early years, we had a massive fight over who was going to be tube sock CEO and swore never to work together again...

[Cizr]

My family was fleeing commie regime back in 1987. My sisters and their mother managed to get out but my father and me (few months old) were caught. My sisters ended up in Canada. I would probably grow up to be some liberal SJW like Tennisface and made Canada threads here daily. Truly a fate worse than death.

[Puri]

There is one single decision that could have changed my life.

When I was 10 I was accepted in a famous boy's choir, but it would have meant to leave my parents home for a boarding school. My parents let me decide then what I wanted (although I already felt my mother would not really want me to go), and which ten year old would choose to leave his home for some unknown school? So I decided to stay.

But this single decision would indeed have altered my complete life, I would have known different people, and very likely I would have chosen a musical instead of an IT career. (well, playing an instrument or conducting, as my voice was ruined in the puberty).

[Tumble]

I was all set up to go to MMI in Florida after high school, however my brother joined the military and while he was living in Japan my mother was diagnosed with Multiple sclerosis, so I never left.
Fast forward a couple years, I was working for a company called Alliance Imaging and was all set to become an MRI tech for them. However, to try to help my brother get over his ptsd after Iraq, we went to a high school football game where we met up with a few old friends we hadn't seen since we left school. One of them invited us back to their house for a party, where my brother started talking to a guy about wow. Later my brother got me playing wow and that's where I met my now wife of almost 9 years. So yeah could have been WAY different.

Edit-I moved to Australia from Michigan aswell.

[Puupi]

When I was 10 I was accepted in a famous boy's choir, but it would have meant to leave my parents home for a boarding school. My parents let me decide then what I wanted (although I already felt my mother would not really want me to go), and which ten year old would choose to leave his home for some unknown school? So I decided to stay.

You probably dodged quite a few kid fiddlers with that decision.

[Puri]

You probably dodged quite a few kid fiddlers with that decision.

It would have indeed fell into a time where there were some abuses reported (btw, one main actor for those deeds at that choir was Georg Ratzinger, the brother of pope AD Benedict XVI).

[GennGreymane]

Me and @GennGreymane almost started a business together selling tube socks.

But as seen in the documentary about our early years, we had a massive fight over who was going to be tube sock CEO and swore never to work together again...

This is a fact

look it up

[Deleted]

I've been a pro swimmer up till age 18 than I stopped.
I've always thought about what I would have become if you did not stop. I was better than some that swim Olympic finals now.

However, because I stopped I now have a very social life, work that I enjoy and a girlfriend I would not want to miss in a million years.

[shadowmouse]

My parents might not have decided they wanted to be normal, and I would have gone to college instead of grade 5 (experimental program).

I could have taken that job offer from IBM.

I might have continued my apprenticeship and become a jeweler.

Perhaps I would have stayed in the Army, maybe even made the jump to being an officer.

Based solely on education, rather than becoming part of the lawyer statistics I might have gone into international trade, moved back to Germany, or sought a career in History.

I might have stayed in practice rather than ending up a professor in China, which might well have lead to me kicking the bucket on schedule (at least 7 years ago).

I could have stayed in martial arts and ended up running a training program the way some wanted me to.

I could have switched from university teaching to the much more lucrative K-12 market.

I might have ended up married to Fiancee #1, #2, or #3 (just broke up with 3). That's alright, Fiancee #2 returned -- does that make her v2.0, 2b, or #4?

That should cover some of the more major ones.

[ItachiZaku]

I'm a genius that was bored in high school, so I had shit grades and then i went into the military. I'm guessing, if I'd done better in high school and went to a good college or if I'd made military my career, I'd be much better off than I am now.

Just this morning I was on the treadmill thinking about the 3 paths I have in front of me... obviously hoping for "this is the one" vs "this is the next one" and not really wanting the other 2 paths.