Life Changing Decisions

Dougie_Fresh

Dougie_Fresh

Member
Looking back on your life, what are some of the choices you made that if you never committed your life would be totally different?

I'll start. When I was younger I had been saving my money and I had the choice to buy a bike or a camera. I really wanted the bike but I ended up picking the camera so I could take pictures of my dog. The camera had a crappy video mode on it and I started documenting my cousin and I building tree forts. I threw the footage into iMovie and those shitty documentaries basically kickstarted my editing skill that I have today.
 
I started meditating. Helps keep a level head all the time and live in the now. I'm a super anxious person so this kind of self-work has made a world of difference in my life.

Also started learning acoustic guitar/ukulele. Another good way to clear the mind for a while.

**This post was edited on Nov 7th 2019 at 9:28:57am
 
Parents decision, not mine, but having to move from Michigan when I was 12 to Utah was sort of a weird blessing in disguise. Have had some bad shit happen here of course but never being able to meet all my best homies and never falling deeply in love with skiing more would have sucked. Probably would have left Michigan either way. Life probably would be different, not bad, but I like my life here so far cuz its been pretty fun.

Better health decisions and self-help in terms of mental and physical stuff like diet and cutting out drinking drastically. Anxiety and depression fucked me over really badly in the past with a whole lot of things and drinking a lot was a problem too so working on controlling your mind in a way has helped so much with some therapy and diet changes. Big emphasis on not drinking either. Im not against booze and ill grab drinks with friends every now and then but i was drinking everynight cuz of shitty resort jobs and not really skiing much because i was hungover all the time so its good to have a clear head.
 
Mine was a camera as well! But for photography, not video. Have had so many unreal opportunities arise through photography I don't know where I'd be without it.
 
I wish I could go back to a party I was at when I was 18 and not snort meth for the first time. Shit grabbed ahold of me, had over $10k saved up in the bank, it was gone in a matter of 2 months all up my nose. Was planning on going to school but fucked it up with drugs.
 
14074241:oldmanski said:
I wish I could go back to a party I was at when I was 18 and not snort meth for the first time. Shit grabbed ahold of me, had over $10k saved up in the bank, it was gone in a matter of 2 months all up my nose. Was planning on going to school but fucked it up with drugs.
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Damn dude that’s heavy. I’m sorry you had to go through that. I’ve had many friends do similar things. I hope you’re doing okay now.
 
14074346:Cole9 said:
Damn dude that’s heavy. I’m sorry you had to go through that. I’ve had many friends do similar things. I hope you’re doing okay now.
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Things are great now, that was a long time ago. We all have this crazy ski addiction now! Hope the snow is flying your direction.
 
"if you don't do it this season

you'll only be a year older when you do it next"

thanks warren

them simple words and your skill at capturing images that portray them changed a lot of peoples lives.

and created a lot us lebowskis on snow
 
14074433:oldmanski said:
Things are great now, that was a long time ago. We all have this crazy ski addiction now! Hope the snow is flying your direction.
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Good to hear it! Ski season won start for another 3 weeks here! Hope you get some turns in soon.
 
I have a birth defect that I got BRUTALLY bullied for when I was very young. I spend years ashamed and hating myself for having it. Then one day I decided to give myself another shot and started embracing this part of me. Now I run a company that helps other people with birth defects appreciate themselves too.
 
I was in a ski program that my dad worked for when I was 8. Basically just a daycare for the race coaches children. One day they asked if any of us wanted to ski moguls. I didn’t even know what moguls were but I raised my hand. I ended up being admitted into the moguls program and the coach I was assigned to was a huge parkrat and didn’t really give a shit about moguls so he’d just take us through the parks. If I hadn’t raised my hand idk if I’d still be skiing.
 
I’d say after sophomore year of HS when I still hadn’t made the varsity team in hockey was the day I decided I’d never be good enough to play D1 hockey at UMD—so I quit. Smoked dope, did bad at school as usual, have hardly touched a hockey stick since then. But I started skiing more (I actually joined a ski team one year when I was younger but was never able to make it work with hockey), moved to Colorado, and thanks to the WCHA breakup/conference re-alignment I still get to see my ‘Dogs play a lot out in CO when they play Denver or CO College. At least they’re killin it now.

There’s always that story of the late bloomer, the walk-on—I think Chris Chelios was just as down as me at that age and look at his NHL career— but I gave up on it all. But I’m just not athletic, not fast, too late of a bloomer. Probably for the best. Sometimes you gotta cut your losses.

**This post was edited on Nov 8th 2019 at 12:12:34pm
 
Did a second round of tours at the University of Utah after I got accepted into the school of buisness. Walked in to the buisness school during the tour, saw a giant stock market board and some dudes walked by discussing their portfolios in the most toolish way possible. Turned around and walked right back out. Made the quick decision to switch to engineering, having no clue what I was in for. Had previously graduated from highschool with a 2.8 GPA having never studied for anything in my life. Fast forward three years and I spend around 8-9 hours in the library per day doing homework and studying. Shit's hard but I enjoy the struggle and I know the hard work will pay off in the future. Have no clue where I would be if I hadnt made this decision.
 
14074639:supersquid said:
Did a second round of tours at the University of Utah after I got accepted into the school of buisness. Walked in to the buisness school during the tour, saw a giant stock market board and some dudes walked by discussing their portfolios in the most toolish way possible. Turned around and walked right back out. Made the quick decision to switch to engineering, having no clue what I was in for. Had previously graduated from highschool with a 2.8 GPA having never studied for anything in my life. Fast forward three years and I spend around 8-9 hours in the library per day doing homework and studying. Shit's hard but I enjoy the struggle and I know the hard work will pay off in the future. Have no clue where I would be if I hadnt made this decision.
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Good on you, good luck and you are correct, hard work does pay off. Keep it up!
 
When my grandma died in hospice I was 12, I had the chance to spend some time with her before she got rolled out on a gurney. If you have the chance, make sure the last time you see a loved one Isn’t when there skin is cold and they can’t respond. I got a good dose of mortality that day.
 
14074808:Seekingseasons said:
When my grandma died in hospice I was 12, I had the chance to spend some time with her before she got rolled out on a gurney. If you have the chance, make sure the last time you see a loved one Isn’t when there skin is cold and they can’t respond. I got a good dose of mortality that day.
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Dude, I feel this on a million levels andI'm super sorry for your loss, I feel you as someone who's seen both sides. (:

I work as a CNA in a long term facility, though I work in the rehab unit. We don't typically see many residents pass but every now and then we do. This past fall we had a lot of people on comfort care(our version of hospice). I picked up a shift on one of our LTC units and had a lady pass at 6:30pm, my shift started at 10pm and the family was there almost immediately and didn't leave until close to midnight. According to the regulars of that unit, the family visited a handful of times the 3 years she was with us. It was heartbreaking to watch, because they were so regretful but unfortunately it was too late. I think they had a harder time than the cases I've seen of family being there all the time.

My grandpa was also in a LTC facility and I know I didn't visit him enough. I wish I had when I had the chance. I understand that it is uncomfortable but you'll regret that your last memory with your loved one, like you said, if it's when they already gone.

To anyone in a similar situation: Your family, our residents, they fucking LOVE to see you. They talk about you over and over and OVER again when you aren't there. They miss you. I know, because they tell me. Go see them if/when you can. Some of my best conversations with my residents are them talking about their families. You can feel the love they have for them and it is super awesome. (:
 
This is insightful, I should elaborate that my grandmother died at her house, and I we were super tight, I even saw her the day before. I guess my contribution to this thread was that I wished I hadn’t let myself go back there, and instead just let my final memory of her be when she was, not well, but at least Alive. Now I remember her when she had her color, and weight, and was in the kitchen bull shitting with my grandpa. I don’t think I’ll ever get that image of her out of my head though unfortunately. On one hand it was nice to say final goodbyes, on the other, I sort of wish I never exposed myself to it. Definitely life changing, thanks for your condolences. It’s been 12 years now and I still miss her, and my grandpa, every damn time I think about them.

14074871:Mingg said:
Dude, I feel this on a million levels andI'm super sorry for your loss, I feel you as someone who's seen both sides. (:

I work as a CNA in a long term facility, though I work in the rehab unit. We don't typically see many residents pass but every now and then we do. This past fall we had a lot of people on comfort care(our version of hospice). I picked up a shift on one of our LTC units and had a lady pass at 6:30pm, my shift started at 10pm and the family was there almost immediately and didn't leave until close to midnight. According to the regulars of that unit, the family visited a handful of times the 3 years she was with us. It was heartbreaking to watch, because they were so regretful but unfortunately it was too late. I think they had a harder time than the cases I've seen of family being there all the time.

My grandpa was also in a LTC facility and I know I didn't visit him enough. I wish I had when I had the chance. I understand that it is uncomfortable but you'll regret that your last memory with your loved one, like you said, if it's when they already gone.

To anyone in a similar situation: Your family, our residents, they fucking LOVE to see you. They talk about you over and over and OVER again when you aren't there. They miss you. I know, because they tell me. Go see them if/when you can. Some of my best conversations with my residents are them talking about their families. You can feel the love they have for them and it is super awesome. (:
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Probably going to be unpopular here but quitting watching porn. Been 4.5 years now abd would never consider going back. The way I approach and view woman in my life is healthier for not only myself but them. Dating relationships are not purely sexually motivated, I have couple close friends who are like sisters and would not have had friends like that 5 years ago.

Edit for key missed words

**This post was edited on Nov 9th 2019 at 11:47:06pm
 
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