Missed opportunity

oth47 · #1 02/18/12, 08:07 AM

Back in the 70s I was working for a man that decided he wanted to buy a sheep ranch in Australia.I had this romantic notion of Australia being a frontier where a man could still live wild and free,so of course I was willing to go run the ranch for him.I gathered the information on emigration to Australia,higher prices there than in US at the time,seemingly an endless supply of hoops to jump through,and I determined that it wasn't worth the hassle.He never got his sheep ranch and I never got to go to Australia.Now I regret that I didn't at least try it.Ever pass up a similar opportunity and live to regret it?

pancho · #2 02/18/12, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oth47

Back in the 70s I was working for a man that decided he wanted to buy a sheep ranch in Australia.I had this romantic notion of Australia being a frontier where a man could still live wild and free,so of course I was willing to go run the ranch for him.I gathered the information on emigration to Australia,higher prices there than in US at the time,seemingly an endless supply of hoops to jump through,and I determined that it wasn't worth the hassle.He never got his sheep ranch and I never got to go to Australia.Now I regret that I didn't at least try it.Ever pass up a similar opportunity and live to regret it?

Yes.
If I was able to go back and do things over I would make different decisions.
Don't know how they would have worked out but sure would like to relive it and see.

willow_girl · #3 02/18/12, 09:28 AM

When I was 17, I was working for a restaurant chain that was expanding. They were sending me around the state to train the new waitstaff -- heady stuff when you're still in high school! I graduated in June and the management wanted to send me to Boston to open a new store. I was madly in lurve, though, and my sweetheart didn't want to move, so I didn't go. Now I can't help but wonder ... ?!

jwal10 · #4 02/18/12, 02:11 PM

Mine is the other way around, I did it and wished I hadn't. It did work out well in the end I got early retirement from the job. Looking back my health suffered the last 6 years because of stress as a supervisor. Life IS what you make it....James

emdeengee · #5 02/18/12, 05:37 PM

We had the chance to go to Australia on a two year contract (with possible extension) for my husband's work. We decided not to go that year but accepted for a year later. During that time I was diagnosed with incurable cancer. Chance gone.

Helena · #6 02/18/12, 08:39 PM

Life does take if's"it's twist and turns doesn't it...don't dwell on the "what if's".. Enjoy life today..

Ozarks Tom · #7 02/19/12, 08:15 AM

In 1986 I had something I'd only heard about, "extra money". A young man who'd worked for me in the past hired on part time at the first Home Depot in Dallas, and in a year was managing the second store to be opened. He touted it as the greatest opportunity ever, and being the cynical person I am, discounted it.

I could have dumped $20,000 into Home Depot stock in 1986! Like the song says "what was I thinking?"

bruce2288 · #8 02/19/12, 10:01 AM

Just the opposite in one case.-After a 3 question interview, 6 weeks later I recieved a contract to teach in Australia. Queensland and salary were about the major points. I wasdue to graduate college and go in July. Queensland is huge,probably a fifth the size of the US. Coastal surf areas, desert mining towns, small ag towns, tropicical outposts. I had 10 DAYS TO decided and sign contract or not.
Huge deciscion in my life, I even went home for a weekend,which didn't happen too often. I really wanted someone to tell me what to do. My folks "It's your life do what you want" Not what I was looking for but great advice.
I signed the contract. Reasoning "If I don't take this opportunity, I will kick myself the rest of my life. I have never regretted it.

fantasymaker · #9 02/19/12, 11:35 AM

Ive taken several of those huge cahnces.
Suffice it to say I now carry vaseline.

bluemoonluck · #10 02/19/12, 06:22 PM

When I was in college getting my undergrad degree in Archaeology, my advisor and I talked about what I was going to do when I graduated. My focus was early human evolution, and my advisor had connections with Harvard's master's degree program (which ran an early homonid dig out of Kenya).

My advisor knew the people who ran the master's program at Harvard and told me she could get me in.... but I'd have to go to Kenya to dig for the majority of the year for about 5 years to earn my master's degree.

I didn't have any desire to live in a tent in the African Rift Valley of Kenya for 5 years, so I turned it down. Instead I went on to get my AAS in Veterinary technology, and my Master's in Counseling.

Since then, on more than one occasion, I've kicked myself in the rear for not exploring that opportunity. A master's degree from Harvard would have almost certainly landed me my dream job of working in a back room at the Smithsonian.

rancher1913 · #11 02/19/12, 10:36 PM

don't really regret it but do wonder about the adventure I missed. passed up a supervisory job in antartica at McMurdo station, just couldn't risk losing the ranch for a six month gig.

snoozy · #12 02/20/12, 05:34 AM

My grandfather did a lot of international business and had contacts all over the world. Back when I was about 20 and still in college, in 1978, one of his Italian business contacts was looking for someone to market top quality Italian espresso machines to restaurants. My grandfather was 80, had finally retired, and asked me if I was interested in becoming the US agent for this espresso machine company.

This was in Seattle, where there were as yet only about 4 espresso places in the city. (I know, it is hard to imagine, isn't it?) At that time I was also working in a Greek restaurant and made Greek coffee every day in the simple long-handled, Turkish/Greek pots. I just couldn't imagine any restaurant wanting to invest in such expensive machines. How would they get their investment back? I mean, how many people actually buy espresso? We students, of course, but we didn't eat in the kind of restaurants which would be so sophisticated as to offer espresso.

There wouldn't be any market for them, I thought...

I turned it down.

sidepasser · #13 02/20/12, 08:10 PM

I have not passed up too many chances in life to do things differently and have tried to tell my children to take advantage of any opportunities that come their way. My daughters haven't done this so much, but my son has. He like myself, likes to travel. So he is going to St. Petersburg Russia for the second time. I have lived in Italy, Mexico, Germany and in many places in the US. If I got a chance to travel anywhere outside the US providing it wasn't to the Mid-East, I would go. Well actually I probably would travel to Egypt..I would love to see the Pyramids. I would love to go to Saudia Arabia to see the foundation Arabian horses. So who knows, maybe one day.

Never not go or do..my dad didn't and did not live long after regretting it..he always wanted to go to Alaska when he retired, only thing was he never got to go as he waited too long to retire.

big rockpile · #14 02/20/12, 08:59 PM

I could have been a Kept Man for a Woman in Kansas City.Turned her down.

big rockpile