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[Nabubrush]

Sorry for the bump, but whatever:

I would only do it again if I'd end up in the exact same place at my current age, because I am happy beyond my expectations with how my life has worked out, and if I did it again and ended up not with my wife I would be fuck*ng pissed.

Having said that, less drugs and more ass. Probably more studying. If I started at 15, I would escape from the chaperones during my Europe trip and stay over there instead of coming back home.

[jaydub]

Having said that, less drugs and more ass. Probably more studying.

What he said.  I still have a hard time looking at my undergraduate transcript.  Also, I would have played out my full eligibility instead of just 3 years.

[jay-ell]

I would only do it again if I'd end up in the exact same place at my current age, because I am happy beyond my expectations with how my life has worked out,

What Nabu said.  I actually sort of assumed that from the beginning -- because not ending up married to Pedro and with 2 awesome kids (well, I assume the one who will be coming out any minute is awesome) would be completely unacceptable. 

I also sort of figured that I'd go back with all the wisdom of twelve years of living, but without necessarily having knowledge of the future.  Because -- if we're talking going back in time, here -- who wouldn't try to stop 9/11? 

Again -- too much Quantum Leap has poisoned my mind.  But if I knew how things were supposed to end, I don't think I'd be able to do things that might change that ending.  I'd basically spend all my energy trying to get to where I already am, which is how I lived it the first time, so it would sort of defeat the purpose. 

[AlohaDawg]

Is this go back to 16 knowing what we know now, or go back to 16 and do it over blind? Because if it's the latter, I imagine 90% or it or more would be exactly the same. If it's the former, let me go back to 5 or 6.

We would kill at the stock market. And maybe stop things like 9/11 from happening.

[wombat]

I think the game should be "be 16 again, knowing what you know about Life."  Not, "go back in time, knowing what you know about History." Like, would your youth be less wasted if you had more wisdom somehow?  Or would you just have to go through all the same shit in pretty much the same way, because that's they way it is?

[linnea]

I think the game should be "be 16 again, knowing what you know about Life."  Not, "go back in time, knowing what you know about History." Like, would your youth be less wasted if you had more wisdom somehow?  Or would you just have to go through all the same shit in pretty much the same way, because that's they way it is?

I think that we'd go through the same shit, but we'd have perspective and would be able to have the foresight to not make completely retarded decisions. I always seemed to think that I'd die young, so I never really saw the point of doing shit like homework. Now that I know for a fact I'd make it to at LEAST age 29, I would have worked my ass off so that I could have done a lot more with my life.

[Beatrice]

Is this go back to 16 knowing what we know now, or go back to 16 and do it over blind? Because if it's the latter, I imagine 90% or it or more would be exactly the same. If it's the former, let me go back to 5 or 6.

this is why we have children right?  not to live vicariously, but to love with knowledge of the real world while still allowing them to grow into their own identity.  it's a natural progression, it seems, and one that too many parents don't seem to get.  no matter how bad you may have had it, a child is your chance to make right with the world, for their sake.  in a less pushy-cheerleader-mom and more an enlightened-guardian way. 

[Ben-San]

I'm not sure it's neurologically possible to know at 16 what most of us know now. Part of the reason we're so different is that at that age we were functionally running with a different brain marinating in a different recipe of Brainjuice Soup.

That said, if I did?

High school diploma instead of GED, go to a counselor instead of having a nervous breakdown in the first semester of college and spending most of a decade in my room.

[Carlos del Vaca]

I would consider the idea of going back to 16 again, but not because of regrets.  More just to see how things would have turned out, for curiosity's sake.  Like "Sliding Doors."  Sometimes the turning points in our lives are blatantly obvious; others they are subtle and largely undetectable.

The most obvious option would be going to college somewhere else.  What would my life be like now if I had followed up with Brown and gone there?  Gone to Penn, or Penn State, or wherever?  Maybe I'd be employee #3 at some Silicon Valley powerhouse; maybe I'd have gotten into drugs and be a total deadbeat.  Who the hell knows, but I find the idea mildly fascinating.

And call me cynical, but I don't think friends and lovers are irreplaceable.  Yes, I have really great friends I made at F&M, and I certainly wouldn't trade them now for anything, but I'm quite sure I would have made great friends wherever I had gone.  A lot of people say something to the effect of "I wouldn't change a thing because I wouldn't want to miss out on meeting my lovely wife," which is a wonderful romantic notion, but are you completely convinced you wouldn't have met another compatible person and happiy married them if you'd gone to school somewhere else or lived in another city?

[Carlos del Vaca]

I actually had a legacy there.  My dad went to Brown for a year before leaving (dropping out?  failing out?  I was never told exactly why) and heading to the equally illustrious Indiana University of Pennsylvania.  But Brown still considered him an alum for some reason.  I wrote them my senior year (this was pre-Interwebs, you whippersnappers) saying "please send me an application."  They never did, and I never followed up.

[senseistealth]

To be 16 again while remembering my experiences and life lessons from the this time trough.  I will have to admit that I would jump at the chance.  I would start by dumping the rebel attitude I had, being more respectful to everyone, and getting involved in my family and my community.  I would put more emphasis on school and my martial arts training and I would attend university right out of high school, not community college 5 years after dropping out of high school.

During the first time through I spent too much time trying to prove how tough I really wasn't.  In the end I just ended up proving to the world, and myself, that I was nothing more than a punk.  Regrets?  I have many.  Bad decisions?  I have made more than my share.  And I have spent the last 15 years, since I finally grew up, trying to make up for it.  To avoid hurting who I hurt (physically and emotionally) and to help those who should have helped in the first place, instead of ignoring them, would justify the changes that would happen as a result of going back.  For things would change.  Lets be honest with ourselves.  Who we are, what we are and where we are is a direct result of where we were when we were there and the decisions we while we were there.  If I were not at a specific party, at a specific time on a specific day I would not have met the guy would become a friend of mine.  That guy would not have introduced me to the women would the not become my long term girlfriend with whom I would not live with for 4 years.  That girlfriend would have a friend who I would not have eventually dated and married some time after that girlfriend and I broke up.  If I had changed my focus and made better choices I would not have been at that party.  As a result I would not have eventually met my wife.  However, I passed by the chance to be a scholar, a coach, a mentor, a positive role model, a good brother and a good son just because the meat heads I hung around with at that point in my life thought it was un-cool.  Well those meat heads are currently in prison, or have been in prison, or (in 2 cases) are dead.  So apparently trying to be tough was a waste of time and effort.  Fortunately I avoided the outcome of the meat heads and I finally have a loving family, a good career, a health hobby (martial arts) and a few good friends I can count on.  But to have achieved this without the heart ache and chaos that I caused along the way would have been nice.  That what I would like to achieve if I could be 16 again.