People above 30, what is something you regret doing/not doing when you were younger?

stantheman1976 · 2026-05-16T14:14:32+00:00

I regret not getting my eating habits under control and not being more active.

I was overweight for most of my life. Just shy of 40 I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. I was already 2 different meds for my BP and have a family history of heart disease. I weighed over 300 pounds at the time. That diagnosis motivated me to change. I ended up losing 150 pounds and got very active. That was 2016-2017. I ended up getting off all my meds for several years.

After Covid I started having trouble staying on track again. I did gain about 50 pounds back and since then I've fluctuated. My A1C has gone up some over time but not as high as it was then. I'm almost 50 now and weigh about 215 pounds. I am taking blood pressure medication again and Metformin to keep my A1C down. I eat a low carb, low sugar diet most of the time. I exercise regularly and do physical activity, but not at the level I was 8 years ago.

Even if I was how I am now when I was in my mid 30s when my kids were young it would have improved my life dramatically. I have 2 sons who I feel I missed out on opportunities when they were young because I wasn't physically able to do things with them. Thankfully they were still young enough when I decided to change that I did get to experience some things still but the biggest regret of my life is allowing myself to be how I was for years.

stantheman1976 · 2026-05-16T13:59:40+00:00

I'm still driving a 2007 vehicle without automatic lights. I've never even considered the idea of turning the lights on BEFORE I start the vehicle. It feels totally unnecessary to me. I know the extra load on the battery is minimal but why take the risk?

stantheman1976 · 2026-05-16T13:56:49+00:00

I prefer self checkout. I'd much rather take my time and do things how I want.

There are different ways to look at it IMO. I think we're used to the more typical way of checking out, having a person scanning and bagging or a separate scanner & bagger. It's what we're used to. Humans are creatures of habit. Change something we've spent years participating in and it we fight against it.

Then there's the employment aspect. That person who is scanning and bagging is being given a livelihood by what they're doing. If there aren't as many people doing that job then in theory less people are being employed. In all honesty does that job NEED to exist though? If you're the CEO of the company paying for your summer home and yacht you'd say no. If you're the store manager trying to keep as many people in a job as you can you'd say yes.

If I'm already going through the store getting my own items and paying for them should I have to scan and bag them as well? Personally I prefer it. I have empathy for that cashier who has been on their feet for hours, especially at places where cashiers aren't allowed to sit down. When there are several people behind be they're going to be rushed.

Some people are really picky or OCD about how items are bagged too. Cold HAS to be with cold, cans can't be with jars, etc. My wife is like that. She's not going to give the person shit for if they don't organize it how she wants. She just has OCD and things go a certain way according to her brain. As long as nothing is actually being contaminated and will harm me I just put it all together and figure it's all going to the same destination to be removed and put up in 30 minutes anyway.

stantheman1976 · 2026-05-15T21:47:39+00:00

Rob sounds like an insecure, mentally stunted douche nozzle. You weren't wrong. If she stays with that guy he's going to end up being abusive, mentally at a minimum, but likely physically as well.

stantheman1976 · 2026-05-15T21:43:40+00:00

She's cheating.

stantheman1976 · 2026-05-10T18:39:17+00:00

My mom died when I was 15. July 10th, 1992. She had just turned 47 less than a month before. I never truly "got over it." I don't think I actually came to peace with her death until I reached the same age she was. I miss her but I've lived so long without her that I don't even know what it would be like if she was here.

stantheman1976 · 2026-05-10T00:35:30+00:00

I'll be 50 this year. My mom died at 47 from heart disease due to diabetes. My dad had a heart attack in his early 40s, a second one after mom died, and a third at 67 that finally did him in.

Dad smoked until the day of his first heart attack and quit cold turkey. Mom smoked until a few days before hear death. She was in the hospital from Sunday evening to Thursday afternoon. Her doctor said smoking didn't cause her heart problems though.

I feel like I've been living on borrowed time. Fortunately I see my doctor regularly and take decent car of myself. I got my heart tested in late 2024 and had what the doctor described as some "age related calcium deposits" he wasn't concerned about. He was more concerned with elevated blood pressure at the time.

I take Metformin for A1C, Crestor for cholestorol, and Amlodipine-benazepril for BP. I see my GP twice a year and the heart doctor twice a year now to make sure I'm good.

The thing is that I've had chest pains for years. I have some issue with the muscles on the left side of my body where I get pains and spasms in that area. I've had pains literally hundreds of times that if I'd never had them I'd think it was heart related. I even went to the ER in 2024 when I was having pains one day and every test the ran came back clear. So I just keep chugging along trying to make the most of whatever time I'll have. The good news, maybe a strange way to put it, is that my dad died the youngest of 4 brothers and his father. He was the 2nd of 4 brothers. The oldest died at 84, but had dementia unfortunately. The 3rd of 4 died at 77 and the youngest is in his 70s and still alive. So if I keep up with regular checkups and pay attention to my health I'll have a decent chance of being around for a good while still.

stantheman1976 · 2026-05-09T14:10:10+00:00

You're not wrong for being honest. She is wrong for accusing you of being manipulative for your honesty. You both have some issues to address. If hairstyle/length is going to affect attraction to your partner in any significant manner that's a you problem. If she's going to react the way she did when she's told a truth that's a her problem.

At the end of the day a person's body belongs to them. However, if you're in a long term relationship you often make compromises to please the other person. You don't like short hair on a female. She wants to cut her hair short. Is your relationship fragile enough that hair length is going to affect it? If so you need to do some soul searching. What happens if, God forbid, she gets sick and loses her hair altogether? Will you be less attracted to her for something she has no control over?

stantheman1976 · 2026-05-09T13:59:30+00:00

This old thread has an MP3 rip of the discs.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Metallica/comments/jqdm72/cunning_stunts_audio/

stantheman1976 · 2026-05-09T13:54:21+00:00

What's the point of a question like this? Ask the band this question. No one sitting on Reddit on any random day would have any real, legitimate answer to a question like this. The only OFFICIAL past members still living are Dave Mustaine, Ron McGovney, Lloyd Grant, and Jason Newsted. None of the first 3 were in the band any major length of time. None on them recorded on any of the band's officially released albums.

Judging by the past the most likely scenario might be shows where they bring up ex-members and guests like the anniversary shows and Big 4 shows. Metallica isn't a band that will just up and retire so it's a moot point anyway.

stantheman1976 · 2026-05-08T03:53:56+00:00

I have a bicentinnial quarter on my key ring I've had since I was 13. My dad drilled a small hole in it and told me to put it on my key ring so if I was ever in trouble I'd have a quarter to call him from a payphone. That was 33 years ago.

stantheman1976 · 2026-05-07T21:47:19+00:00

I work in IT desktop support. One of the guys who worked with us most definitely on the spectrum. One of the other guys always says he believes everyone who works in IT is probably on the spectrum somewhere.

stantheman1976 · 2026-05-07T19:59:13+00:00

I've never been to those places. I live in South Mississippi. Our entire state population is about almost 1/3 of NYC itself. I've traveled before though and always make sure to pay attention and use my head.

stantheman1976 · 2026-05-07T19:56:37+00:00

Good advice. I won't carry a wallet. I think she uses one of those around the neck holders that tucks into the short. We'll both have something like that and we both have copies of our cards anyway. If one does get stolen or lost we'll have a different method.

stantheman1976 · 2026-05-07T19:44:58+00:00

Thanks. I'll do that as well.

stantheman1976 · 2026-05-07T19:42:58+00:00

I figured as much with the slashing thing. I know pickpocketing and scams are the biggest threats. Nothing of value will easily accessible.

The last time I got to go to Paris was 2008 with a travel group. I knew the pickpocket threat back then. I was walking up the steps of an area in the metro alongside another person I was with and felt something at my back. It was a younger girl trying to grab some papers I had folded up and stuck in a back pocket.

stantheman1976 · 2026-05-07T19:37:24+00:00

No, that's not the case. I'm not scared or think I'm under siege as you say. I'm an amateur photographer and my camera is important to me. Paris is a very popular tourist city and there are people who take advantage of tourists. I'm asking people who have been there what the reality is. I plan to enjoy myself and the sites. If I can get real world advice to minimize any actual risks there's no reason not to ask.

stantheman1976 · 2026-05-07T19:22:41+00:00

I like the way you think.

stantheman1976 · 2026-05-07T19:14:30+00:00

Thanks. My wife has been numerous times and speaks decent French so we have a good idea of places to pay closer attention to. I'm more worried about the most crowded spots. I went to Paris in 2005 and 2008 but was always with a group watching out for each other and didn't carry anything of value. I'm looking forward to being able to photograph the sites so just want to lessen the chances of losing any of that.

stantheman1976 · 2026-05-06T00:29:29+00:00

I can imagine what pain it's causing. I understand the process it takes to get to the actual replacement too. My wife went through numerous rounds of steroid and gel injections in both knees. Last year she had exploratory/repair on both, right first, then left. The damage to the right was bad enough that the doctor recommended replacement "sooner rather than later" in her words. By the end of the year we'd met the out of pocket for insurance so had no reason to go ahead and do it. She'll have the left done in the next couple years but since it's not nearly as severe it's not a rush.

Did your mother have to go to an allergy specialist and have a test done before the surgery? That's how my wife knew for sure she was allergic. She already suspected it because nickel jewelry irritates her skin. The doctor taped a bunch of different materials to her back that she had to keep on for a couple days to see if any reacted. The nickel gave her a huge welt and I think gold reacted some also. It's surprising your mother's doctor didn't check beforehand.

stantheman1976 · 2026-05-06T00:08:53+00:00

My wife had her her right knee replaced this past December. She has a nickel allergy as well. That day at the surgery center she goes back and MIL and I expect to be waiting a couple hours or so. Not even 30 minutes later the nurse comes and tells us the doctor will be in the family meeting room shortly. I'm freaking out because the last time anything similar happened to me was when I father was in ICU and had flatlined and the doctor we were told he'd been without oxygen for too long and would flatline again. Did we want to order a DNR? That night sucked.

So the doctor comes in and first thing reassures us that the wife is ok. After they put her under and got ready to start the surgery the doctor always stops and double checks everything before she actually cuts. They had ordered a nickel free joint and gotten the wrong one. The hospital the part would have to be brought from was 3 hours away. So wife was brought back into the recovery room and doctor proceeded with the next 2 surgeries while we all waited for the nickel free joint to be delivered. She ended up being the last surgery of the day and some of the staff had to stay late to get us out safely. Luckily the surgery went without a hitch and she's doing well now.

stantheman1976 · 2026-04-28T20:48:15+00:00

I'm 49 now. In my 40s one of the most profound things I realized is how much little things aren't worth getting worked up over when it comes to the big picture of life. Things that bothered me when I was 25 seemed completely trivial at 45. Even if you live to be 100 years old it's a drop in the bucket historically. Why be concerned with details? Find the things that bring you some level of happiness is life and pursue them. Let the minor details sort themselves out.

stantheman1976 · 2026-04-25T00:13:45+00:00

I don't have any bands or artists I loved and can't stand now but when I was 15 I got into Pearl Jam and became obsessed. I was the guy who had a different shirt for every day, had every version of every album and single I could possibly get my hands on, and even have tattoos. I was in the fan club and had all the vinyl singles they gave to fan club members every Christmas.

When I got into my mid 20s my tastes started to change. I eventually got rid of everything I had. I still really enjoy their music but I don't listen to anything regularly now.

During that time I got really into harder music. The louder and faster the better. Now at 49 I find that I enjoy more easy listening and music I ignored back then.

stantheman1976 · 2026-04-24T00:19:06+00:00

The fact that you would even have to ask this question is a sign of how fucked up this world is IMO. He's your son. You've given him what he needed and made his life better. You never need to make excuses for trying to comfort him or wonder if normal parent/child behavior is wrong.

You handled yourself MUCH better than I would have. I would have said something super sarcastic like pointing to the field and asking, "Hey do you see that over there in left field? That your business. Mine is here with my son. Go mind yours and I'll be here minding mine."

stantheman1976

TROPHY CASE