Any One Event Fundamentally Change Your Life Trajectory?

[Bill E. 666]

Mine is fairly obvious. My divorce.

 

I hated my focking job with a passion and was borderline suicidal. When I decided to end the marriage, I no longer had any reason to stay in that locality, and was ready to quit the job.

 

But what next? At first the obvious move was to go home. Start over near my family. But with life in something of a shambles, I actually took the occasion to consider what I actually wanted to do.

 

I love my family, but dont really want to be a part of the daily clusterfock that goes on down there. I had discovered that money really wasnt that important to me (in the big house, nice car context of it.)

 

I had always wanted to travel. See the world. Experience new things. Volty suggested I look into this teaching in china thing. He said, hell, give it a year, consider it a long vacation. If you hate it, America aint going anywhere. So I said what the hell and tried it.

 

I knew several months I would never go back for good. One of these days Im really gonna have to get out voltys way and buy him and the wife a nice dinner or something. I have no idea what the long term future holds, but thats fine, Im happy as it is.

That is awesome.

[seafoam1 1,878]

January 20, 2009 to January 20, 2017 - obama ruined my country. Now I have to deal with nutcases everywhere I go.

[Bill E. 666]

Getting out of the Army, is one answer but that was always the plan. If I'd liked the Army, I would have stuck, but we were treated poorly, I despised the Army, looked forward to getting out the entire time and re-enlistment was not an option (although I started to play with it in my head again a bit when my life went sour and I was depressed). This was like my divorce, the closing of a bad chapter in my life, the nightmare ends and all is good in the world again.

 

The real answer here is coming to China. I was 29, depressed, my fiance had broke up with me, stuck in a rut, living with my mom, substitute teaching, just going nowhere and spinning my wheels. So when I heard about teaching positions open in China, I checked it out and everything went well. I got off the plane and the light bulb turned on. All of a sudden I had a respectable job, disposable income, my self-esteme and self-confidence came back, I had a long term sexy girlfriend before the week was out. And I'm still here sixteen years later.

Very cool. My neighbor's son was in a rut and he met a girl that had a degree and was moving to Vietnam. He followed here there amd ended up with a teaching job. He was back a few years ago and I could not believe the transformation. He was a different person and all for the better.

[jerryskids 5,149]

Not a fundamental change per se, but I just talked about it yesterday... when I was in college (late 80s) I was a total music snob; would only listen to classic rock. I had performed a lot of music and felt like the 80s in general sucked quality wise. I was in my car with a buddy and made some comment about some crappy song on the radio. He said something like, "you know, it doesn't have to be awesome musically for you to enjoy it." For whatever reason that really sunk in, and I softened on and expanded my musical tastes. Heck, my favorite Spotify station these days is a mix of 90s hip hop.

[penultimatestraw 473]

January 20, 2009 to January 20, 2017 - obama ruined my country. Now I have to deal with nutcases everywhere I go.

What a terrible life you must have.

[bandrus1 413]

January 20, 2009 to January 20, 2017 - obama ruined my country. Now I have to deal with nutcases everywhere I go.

Somebody else was able to alter your life forever

 

Weak

[seafoam1 1,878]

What a terrible life you must have.

Like I said, now I have to deal with people like you. It's like millions of misquitos in your house. Annoying as shlt.

[penultimatestraw 473]

Like I said, now I have to deal with people like you. It's like millions of misquitos in your house. Annoying as shlt.

Some people’s lives don’t revolve around inconsequential sh!t like partisan politics. You should try it.

 

Seriously, I can’t remember the last time I talked about politics IRL.

[seafoam1 1,878]

Some people’s lives don’t revolve around inconsequential sh!t like partisan politics. You should try it.

 

Seriously, I can’t remember the last time I talked about politics IRL.

Just the fact that you are saying what obama did to this country is inconsequential, shows you really don't pay attention to politics.

 

Good for you. And I don't even get why you replied.

[Voltaire 4,550]

Not a fundamental change per se, but I just talked about it yesterday... when I was in college (late 80s) I was a total music snob; would only listen to classic rock. I had performed a lot of music and felt like the 80s in general sucked quality wise. I was in my car with a buddy and made some comment about some crappy song on the radio. He said something like, "you know, it doesn't have to be awesome musically for you to enjoy it." For whatever reason that really sunk in, and I softened on and expanded my musical tastes. Heck, my favorite Spotify station these days is a mix of 90s hip hop.

I never had that experience. When I got back to the US in 1992 after being stationed in Germany in the Army (which along the way, included that 4+ month excursion running around Saudi/Iraq with the tankers I may have mentioned a few dozen times), I'd also thought the music sucked. Unlike you though, I never warmed to it. I still think it sucks. When I wanted to find new music in the 90s, I ignored the bands of the era and spent my time combing over stuff from the 70s, 60s, and 50s. Then when I came to China in 2001, I was totally isolated from new music but could not care less since I had already given up long ago by that point.

 

My music was out of date before I was 21 years old and I still live in that >92 bubble.

[Kanil 519]

Mine didn't even involve me. It was my cousin going to watch a Broncos game at an Old Chicago with some people he met on the game Everquest while he was a freshman in college. That led to them becoming roommates which led to me meeting one of them. We became good friends and both took up poker pretty hardcore. I ended up able to pay my rent, bills, and beer money throughout my college years and eventually met my wife at a poker tournament he hosted. All because my cousin was bored on a Sunday and met up with random internet nerds.

 

Oh, the friend also introduced me to a lightly trafficked fantasy football message board. So you all have my cousin to thank for your lives being dramatically changed (for the better) also.

[penultimatestraw 473]

Just the fact that you are saying what obama did to this country is inconsequential, shows you really don't pay attention to politics.

 

Good for you. And I don't even get why you replied.

I replied because I find it pathetic that someone’s life was so fundamentally changed by the last President’s supporters.

[seafoam1 1,878]

I replied because I find it pathetic that someones life was so fundamentally changed by the last Presidents supporters.

It's because you don't pay attention to what is going on around you.

[penultimatestraw 473]

It's because you don't pay attention to what is going on around you.

No, it’s because you lead a pathetic life. Get help.

[seafoam1 1,878]

No, its because you lead a pathetic life. Get help.

My life is better now that obama and hillary are out of the picture. Thank you. ☺

[Hardcore troubadour 12,552]

No, its because you lead a pathetic life. Get help.

Gotta side with Pen on this one. This Seafool is some kind of loser.

[seafoam1 1,878]

Gotta side with Pen on this one. This Seafool is some kind of loser.

https://www.gaycitynews.nyc/stories/2018/3/w29450-gypsies-troubadours-divas-2018-02-01.html

 

Nothing life being a troubadour. And hardcore no less.

[Hardcore troubadour 12,552]

https://www.gaycitynews.nyc/stories/2018/3/w29450-gypsies-troubadours-divas-2018-02-01.html

Wow. Never saw or heard of that website before, yet you seemed to have it ready to go as soon as I posted. It's almost like you go to that website all the time.

[seafoam1 1,878]

Wow. Never saw or heard of that website before, yet you seemed to have it ready to go as soon as I posted. It's almost like you go to that website all the time.

Yep. Just looked up troubadour on google. Real hard to do. Well, for you.

[Hardcore troubadour 12,552]

Yep. Just looked up troubadour on google. Real hard to do. Well, for you.

Funny I googled it and nothing like that came up. You must have the gay google. Or that's your favorite website. Gaylord

[seafoam1 1,878]

Funny I googled it and nothing like that came up. You must have the gay google. Or that's your favorite website. Gaylord

phag

[mobb_deep 917]

[Hardcore troubadour 12,552]

phag

Know how I know you're gay? You go to gay websites.

[seafoam1 1,878]

Know how I know you're gay? You go to gay websites.

ok.

[seafoam1 1,878]

Know how I know you're gay? You go to gay websites.

ok mr troubadour.

[Hardcore troubadour 12,552]

ok mr troubadour.

Hardcore

[seafoam1 1,878]

Hardcore

hardcore phag

[TheNewGirl 1,018]

Breaking up with my HS boyfriend.

 

Thought we'd be together forever, was fully convinced he was the one. I never saw ANY of the warning signs of abuse or anything like that.

 

Broke up with him face to face (this was probably top 3 most difficult things I've ever done).

 

If I hadn't done all of that, my life would have been incredibly different and not neccessarily for the better.

 

 

[frank 2,143]

I can trace all of my current friends, my girlfriend, my career, and where I live to the seat I chose in my first college class. I sat near the fromt because there was a pretty girl. People who sat near me became my friends and introduced me to others. I met my girlfriend through those people. I changed my major because of her. I really think my entire life would be different if I had sat a few rows back.

[JustinCharge 2,397]

A couple of years after I got out of the Marines, I moved back home and took some crappy manufacturing job while I went to school. I was a contractor and didnt have benefits.

 

My friend asked me to go to a St. Paddy's Day party with him one day. At the party I saw one of my brother's friends from High School. We talked and learned we both worked at the same company (me contractor, he employee) and were both former Marines. He asked if I wanted to double my salary and come work in his department, which is almost all ex-military guys. Obviously I said yes and after a few job interviews, I was hired. I traveled the world, made a lot of money, and learned great job skillls.

 

Most importantly, a couple of months after I took the job, my boss asked me to give a presentation to a bunch of corporate folks. At that presentation, I met my eventual wife. We now have two kids.

 

I always think. What if I didnt go to that St. Paddy's Day party?

 

Just assume you're an awesome individual and some other lucky girl and lucky company would have nabbed you.