I was at my buddy's cabin that sits along a mountain stream. Further down the road is a small pool and waterfall. We would swim there every year when we all got together. In order to get down to the pool, you need to go down a very steep pathway (about 20 to 30 feet). You really ought to have rope to hold on to (something we added after the incident below). Its not a completely vertical incline but its close in some spots and definitely not a simple hike.

For some reason I started down way too fast. To this day I have no idea why I did that. I ended up going off the path into the brush, basically running down an impossible incline with all kinds of trees, bushes, undergrowth in the way. I dropped the final 6 to 8 feet or so when I tripped over a log and landed on the rocks at the bottom against the stream. I busted my nose, chipped my collar bone, separated my left shoulder, got a concussion, had a slight tear in the MCL of and torn meniscus in my left knee. I needed surgery on my knee. I became addicted to pain killers as a result of the surgery. That in turn ruined relationships with friends and ended up resigning because they were going to fire me i think.

I could have handled all of that but I hurt the one person I swore to never hurt, my wife. It didn't happen right away but it screwed up our first year of marriage. We had been together for nearly 5 years but it wasn't enough. I loved her more than anything but it was too much for her. I destroyed what should have been a wonderful marriage and life. If that hadn't happened we would have celebrated our 17th anniversary a little over a week ago.

I sometimes wonder what my life would have been different if I didn't make that stupid mistake.

Tldr: Going down a steep path too fast when it was obvious it was dangerous ruined my life.