CAA: Christian Anime Alliance

Are there things you wish you had studied or learned when you were younger?

I realise this may not apply to the younger members here (yes, I am old).

When I was in my first year of high school, where every subject was mandatory, there was only one art teacher in the entire school.

He would turn up to class with a hangover for around half the time. It did not help that he did not seem real keen to teach us any art basics. The only thing I remembered learning in that year for art was drawing thin and thick lines for "abstract art". I found the art class really boring, and would instead draw Transformers when he was not watching. I also came to the belief that he would never teach me anything as "cool" as drawing giant robots.

But over the years, my decision to study other subjects in high school is one of the things I've come to regret. When I look back on my university years, I also regret having spent so much time playing Street Fighter. Yes, it made me very good at the game, but it now feels like such a waste.

Eventually my dad taught me something about perspective and depth in drawings, but I never learned to draw manga like the way my sister did (sadly, she gave up this hobby years ago). But as for other basics such as composition, form and values, I am only starting to read up on and learn now.

I know it's not too late, just wish I had the wisdom to do this sooner!

I'm still probably considered a "kid", but I wish I had taken proper Japanese pronunciation more seriously in class. Half the time I introduced myself in Japan it sounded like I said "Horando-san, desu"... when I really meant "Horando Samu". That got me a few questionable looks.

Sometimes I wish I had realized sooner that I'm stronger that I'd given myself credit for.

I wish I learned the the time limit for the quiz was 15 minutes long when I was about 2-3 hours younger. haha

As for life in general, I would say enjoy the present rather than worry about the future.

Music. I wish I had started earlier. I played piano when I was 10, and I liked it, but convinced myself that I hated it. It wasnt till being forced into joining band in 8th grade that I realized how much I love music. I'm really good for how long I've been playing, but not for my age. I have friends who have played since they were 5 or so, and they are so much better than me. I wish I had discovered my love and talent for music sooner. I had no idea what I was missing.

I wish I'd learned how to sing in a real choir sooner, like using the different parts and stuff. I only just started to learn since signing up for my college's choir, but all the other choirs I've been in could have taught me so much!

I wished I learned to be less socially awkward in my teen years.

I used to be REALLY socially awkward. Like a lot. Until I was like 19, haha.

To be able to better appreciate art and music (I didn't pick up on these things until I was almost out of high school).
That people don't get to tell me how I'm supposed to feel.
That ultimately I get to decide the course of my own life.
That because there are more stars than there are grains of sand, something like spilled milk is as insignificant as a star burning out, yet it's just as monumental.
That in the end, everything will be nothing, and nothing will be everything and that's okay.

My religious beliefs I wish i had discovered sooner.

I wish I had discovered that a certain friendship I used to have was as toxic as it was sooner. It would've saved me a lot of heartache. But, at least I saw this and I'm free from it now.

I also wish I had started performing sooner, and that I didn't give up on it. But likewise, I'm getting back in now.

I really wish that I had not gone to graduate school and taken out so much in student loan debt.

I wish I had not gotten caught up in a car loan and car payments --and had instead saved up to buy a car outright.

I wish I had learned to play the piano earlier. But I guess I still have time.

I wish I'd learned how to not stick my foot in my mouth. I think it's just habitual now.

I wish I had learned how to forgive people more easily, and how to love unconditionally even when people don't agree with me. I have learned to love, and I'm still learning, and I'm on the path to forgiveness, I just wish I learned it sooner before I pushed so many people away.

I wish I had learned why I was learning all that stuff in school before I had to find a job. I would have learned different things and more of it. >_<

I wish I had realized 9 years ago how unstable I was when I was with Sheila...if that was the right word..and not that I'm completely stable now..haha....

Looking back on both of our LJs during the breakup fallout, I totally cringe.

I also wish I....never broke up with Nhu, my first ex-gf, and learned how to deal with her overprotective family, and then patiently learn how to be happy with her... (First love is weird, huh?)

I wish I'd learned not to be a creepy stalker-type girl who had a crush on every boy during my first couple years of college. It's embarrassing to remember.

Yes - but not subject wise. Anything I want to learn, I can basically learn it. At least when it comes from a book. Where theory stops, that's where I wish I had learned things. I wish learned that I wanted to be a furry - right when I become a teenager (and that the fandom was larger back then). I wish I learned that I didn't really want an adventure or purpose as much as I wanted other people my own age to hug me or be happy to be around me. I wish I taught my body how to keep weight off and stay fit - but I deserve this one. I outright mocked the fact that I would be fat when I was older when I was thirteen - I was also unwittingly suicidal at the time and felt I was going to die young anyways, so why bother. I was right. I emotionally died before I ever got to where I am now, but then something went haywire and I came back - even if I don't feel like me that was then who I am now and... well I wish he would have thought about the next person to inherit this body, but I guess that's my test to figure out then now isn't it.

Most of all though. The furries and the RL friends bit. God knew it too - bought snow all the way down from Flagstaff in a truck to the youth group one night, but I still turned him down. I was such an idiot.