Life Altering Decisions

[Scott]

You make decisions every day, some big, some little, some are important, others are frivalous...what do you think was the biggest decision you have made that has altered your life the most...

I had a job offer to work for Kodak in Rochester, NY out of college.  I was really considering going, it would have meant moving a long way from home, leaving all of my friends and family to start life new.  I had a very serious girlfriend at the time and I wasn't really hip on leaving her...but the area, the job, being wined and dined by a place that really wanted me to work for them, it was really hard.  My folks didn't want me to leave and in the end I just couldn't leave by myself.  

Turns out I think I made the right decision, the company has gone down the crapper big time laying off tens of thousands of people and I got a good job here at "home".  The funny thing is a few weeks after turning down the job me and my girlfriend broke up and she was probably the #1 reason I stayed.  

I sometimes wonder though how I would have adapted and lived out there...that's a lot different than going off to college out of state...

#2 was getting married but it wasn't too difficult of a decision, I knew from the moment I met her that she was my wife

#3 Was opting not to use birth control 36 weeks ago

Reason I ask is I am contemplating switching jobs right now, might consider moving out of state for the right job but its hard even to take that first step

[Darth Kenobi]

I have had a few life altering decisions which I have made in my life most minor. The only big one that I can think of was going to see Gladiator at the theater with my sister.  On our way home we were hit by a red light runner and I ended up braking my wrist.  I ended up getting $$$,$$$ settlement which paid for my car, me finishing my Ep1 collection, getting a new computer and some other stuff.  In the end I wish I would of only kept some more of that money.
Some of the minor ones are:
1.  Being a slacker in school which started in 8th grade and kept me from doing classes that were a higher level.

2.  Not keeping a girl's new address that I knew since third grade and who I kind of like a little.

[Ben]

My largest bad decision was dropping out of college. Now I'm 22 and trying to get back in, but it is the hardest thing I've ever done. Advisors don't think I can hack it, and my parents have little faith in me too. They don't want me to take the Cinema and Comparative Literture courses at the University of Iowa. They want me to get a 'real' job, like my brother, who's currently in the Engineering program at Iowa State.

They don't think I'll make any money. So I guess that's another life altering decision- I'm going to do what makes me happy, not the cash-grab that ends up making me miserable for the next fifty years.

[Mikey D]

Probably the biggest was going away to college.  I grew up in South Jersey, did decent in high school but seemed to butting heads with my parents on every little stupid thing.  I just wanted to get away, so I decided to go to Boston.  It was a new experience in a new town.  Well, that was almost ten years ago and I haven't left since.  If I stayed in Jersey for school, I never would have met my wife or the friends I have now.  No regrets, but sometimes you wonder what would have been different if just one little decision you made didn't happen.

[Reconsgt]

You make decisions every day, some big, some little, some are important, others are frivalous...what do you think was the biggest decision you have made that has altered your life the most...

Well Scott I have often thought about past decisions and how they have played a part in my life or how it would have been differnt. For me I think the hardest decision I made was in 1993.  I was still in the Army doing a job that I feel I was made for. I was happy for the most part and had acomplished my goals I set for myself inside the military. I had a dangerous job but I was having the time of my life. Just after I returned stateside from Somalia I received a call from my mom. I could tell she was upset by her voice. My youngest brother was just diagnoised with leukemia. He has had a rough childhood with illness and had previously underwent open heart surgey when he was 5 to repair holes in his heart and has a learning disablility that basically left him at a 6th grade level. I knew that she felt that it was to much for him to overcome but she told me that it was treatable and I should stay in the service and finish out my time.
 I will say that that was the first time I can remember that I actually sat down and cried. I just couldn't seem to talk about it to anyone so it kept eating at me. Eventually I made a decision to return home. My CO at the time understood the situation and based on my job and service record felt I paid my dues and helped me end my time early. So I was discharged with full honors and was allowed to come 6 months early.
  It is a decision I have never regretted. I have often thought about how things would be had those events not taken place. Fact is I probably would not be here today if not for him. He is still fighting his battle. Some days are good others not so good.

    He is the reason I am here at defender. He got me into SW during EP1when I had to make toy runs with him since no-one else would. So I started buying some and then dug out all my old stuff from my dads house. That lead to me searching the net and wala here I am.


   But it is interesting to look at the chain of events of your life and see where it all leads. Seems sometimes that destiny takes over and you are just along for the ride.

[Morgbug]

Man, what a wacky world.  

We just got an email a couple of weeks ago asking our entire department (Agriculture) to meet with the Minister of that department.  No details, no information about the content of the meeting.  

Not surprisingly the speculation has been rampant, ranging from a philosophical meeting that means nothing , to dramatic cuts with over half the department losing their jobs.  Nobody has a clue what will happen.

Two days ago I got a job offer, completely out of the blue.  Unlike Scott, it means I won't have to move, in fact, it essentially eliminates my commute as the building where the job is located is about 6 minutes from my house by car. Easily reachable by bicycle in the summer.  

What to do?

[Famine]

I made the decision 5 years ago to move out of my mothers house, and move into my grandparents home, and leave my sisters, and mother, behind, for what I hoped would be a better life than what I was having there.

Things are grand, but whenever I go to visit, my sisters cry, and beg me to stay. Its a sad thing.

The cons some times do infact out weigh the pros.

Morgbug, look at the job that pays more. And thet bycicle comute doesnt sound too bad either!

Kevin

[Ben]

Oh, a bicycle commute! That'd be a dream come true for me, provided the pay was right.