Life is all about taking risks, or so we're continually told from infancy to adulthood. While some life-changing risks - like, quitting your job and relocating to parts unknown, have a knack of panning out like you hoped they would - other choices are far more foolhardy. We have all made decisions that have made our friends shake their heads in collective despair, and proclaim "I told you so".
If you've had one too many of these experiences, rest assured, others have done much worse. Just take a gander at these terrible mistakes...
1. A rash move"I know a guy who was supposedly recruited to be part of Vancouver Symphony Orchestra not even out of high school. Saw his girlfriend dance with another guy at graduation and in a fit of drunken jealously punched a brick wall and shattered a dozen bones in his hand, never played an instrument again."
2. That would hurt"I wondered if I could knee myself in the head. I could."
3. Oops"My friend's long-distance girlfriend of 4 months broke up with him for a guy 15 years older than both of them. He then quit his job and moved 4 hours away to her city with no job or housing lined up, with the intention of winning her back. They did not get back together."
4. That's got to hurt..."Friends sold their beautiful home for a huge loss because they were concerned about the way things were going with the local real estate market. Later that year, gentrification took root and their house was worth almost 3 times what they sold it for."
5. Never, ever play with blow darts"I had a friend ask another friend to shoot him with a blow dart. First the guy shot him in the leg, but my friend thought that was too easy (he was an overly confident marine reserve), so he asked him to shoot him in the side. The guy did and it punctured his lung, though he wouldn't admit it.
Then, trying to play it cool, he decided to "go home," when really he was "going to the hospital." We all followed him to his car trying to convince him to let one of us drive or call an ambulance, but he just kept saying nothing was wrong. He collapsed right as he unlocked his car and we had to call 911. He's fine, aside from his injured ego and dim wits."
6. I kind of get it"Got wasted before a carnival and spent $250 trying to win a 50 inch LCD TV. The carnival worker stopped me. Yes, you read that right - the carnie told me enough was enough. Made off with a stuffed lion though, so who's the idiot now?"
7. Nothing beats retail therapy"I was really depressed one night because my girlfriend at the time had said that she wanted us to take a break. So, in my emotionally fragile state, I somehow ended up buying a $500 sword and a $700 suit of armour."
8. Ew"Colleague of a friend came into work excited about having bought a new house. Thought she'd got a great deal because they took like 50k off the original price. Why? Because they found out the place was completely infested with termites. Really all she bought was a very expensive piece of land."
9. How reckless can you be?"An old co-worker at a fast food place I used to work wanted time off, worked to the bone, and knew he would never get it. So he decided the best way was to go for some compulsory sick leave. Dude stuck his hand in the fryer, only problem was when he claimed it as an accident they reviewed the camera footage... which clearly shows it was 100% intentional. Lost his job and had a decent medical bill."
10."I spent $1800 on the royal blue Beanie Baby, Peanut in 1999."
Well, there you have it. Bet you're feeling better about your life choices now...