Ship of Fools: What have you achieved that you never thought you would?

Thread: What have you achieved that you never thought you would? Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.

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Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :

North East Quine's thread on 'What did you think you would have done by now?' has got me thinking. I came from a very poor background which left me with dreams I never thought I could achieve rather than ambitions and plans for the future.
As a teenager I wanted to be a teacher but my poor background/working class attitudes prevented me from doing so; no-one went into higher education from my background. My parents wanted me to leave school, get a job and pay rent, just like my siblings. So I started work age 17 on a training scheme in an old people's home and then did old fashioned nurse training within the local hospital.
Then I discovered the Open University and my life changed forever. I now have 2 degrees, I am doing a Masters in Education at present and planning to start a part time PhD soon, something I had never even heard of as a child. I am a lecturer in health and social care with the OU and so have achieved what I once thought was impossible; I am a teacher. And there is a whole world of learning out there which I can explore (I've become rather addicted to the study I never had the opportunity to do when younger).

So, what have you achieved that you never imagined you could or would do? Did you have dreams which you never thought would come to fruition and yet somehow you got there anyway? What barriers have you had to overcome to get where you are?

Posted by Uncle Pete (# 10422) on :

World travel. Old age.

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :

I learnt to drive. I actually passed my test and bought a car.

This wasn’t something I ever envisaged happening. At the outset of my working life it was a choice between saving for a mortgage or saving for a car: I opted to save for a mortgage. Years later, with just £2000 to save to achieve the deposit for a one-bed house, during that year house prices suddenly rocketed up and by the end of it I needed to save £14K to bridge the gap. There was now no hope of getting a house, so I had driving lessons instead.

It took 13 years partly for financial reasons but also because there always came a point when fear escalated into phobia and I had to stop. I’d never been able to master the clutch and didn’t see the point of it anyway, so switching to an automatic helped a lot to conquer the fear of stalling and being crashed into. It took four attempts to pass the test but I finally did and bought a car five days later. I’d never spent so much money in one go – that was frightening, as was my first ever solo drive – home, from the dealer’s garage.

It took me a long time to get used to my car and build up confidence – people aren’t always patient with new drivers on the roads – but now that I have it I love it and wouldn’t part with it.

Posted by Beethoven (# 114) on :

I've had a book published. Admittedly I'm the third author (of three), as by the time it was coming together I didn't have the time and interest to be very involved, having done all the difficult stuff in producing the work in the first place. But still, my name is on a book. [Smile]

Since I realised relatively early at University that I don't want to be an academic, and being generally a fairly average student, I'd never expected to be published at all. So doing well enough in my MA that my dissertation-equivalent was of a high enough standard was very pleasing!

[ 08. July 2015, 13:08: Message edited by: Beethoven ]

Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :

I have written a time travel trilogy. I haven't =published= a time travel trilogy, but this is ancillary. You have to write it before you can do anything else.

Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on :

Surely time travel trilogies get published before they are written?

Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :

No no, that's what happens inside. The physical book, they exist in our space-time and are subject to all the usual rules of causality.

Posted by leo (# 1458) on :

First person from my family to go to uni.

Got accepted by ACCM (BAP).

Leaned to swim in early middle age.

Posted by no prophet's flag is set so... (# 15560) on :

I found someone who loved me in return. 35 years later it keeps growing.

I got a sailboat. Not as impressive perhaps if you know the details: it's a 15 footer, it cost $2500 including trailer and had a hole in it and some other minor hull and deck fixing required, the sails needed repair, the trailer needed wheel bearings, but she sails now with $40 worth of fibre glass repair kit, $120 for someone to do sail repairs, and bearings for $50. It is truly amazing what the internet can educate me to do. My achievement: I am a captain of a sailing vessel.

Posted by Caissa (# 16710) on :

Surviving my twenties.

Posted by churchgeek (# 5557) on :

I went to grad school. Got my MA and am working on a PhD. I intend to finish that, but it's not a done deal yet.

But I'm a lousy student (admittedly) and very undisciplined. And I'm working-class. And my dad has a GED. My mom had started a Master's but dropped out. But no one in my family knew/knows the ins and outs of academia. I find myself getting jealous of current college students I know who are all on top of things like doing honors theses and getting mentors and stuff. I didn't have the self-esteem or really understand how those things worked, sadly. I kind of still don't. But I have presented a paper at an international conference, so that's something. Not much, but something. [Biased]

Less surprising: I've replaced an entire brake system on a car, along with other repair jobs. Granted, I was working on it with a friend, and it took us a whole week, but I felt pretty accomplished after. And got rid of the car a few months later, but that's another story...

I've also done a lot more travel than I ever expected to, being working class. In every case, it was because I had help: I went to France and Switzerland by going with Teen Missions (when I was a teen, obviously); I went to Ireland and Scotland because a friend used his frequent flyer miles to take me; and I went to England (to present that paper) because I crowd-funded the whole trip on facebook.

And while it's not an accomplishment*, I certainly never thought I'd even live in California, let alone live there for 9 years! But that's more travel, I guess. And on the way moving back, I drove across the country (alone), which I'd always wanted to do. That was thanks to all the people who put me up for a night or two along the way, including several wonderful Shipmates!

*although I know some Californians would call it that! [Razz]

Posted by Leorning Cniht (# 17564) on :

I moved to America, which was never in the plan. It was, in fact, almost the opposite of the plan, but it snuck up on me, and seems to be going OK so far.

And I'm still rather surprised that Mrs. C puts up with me.

Posted by nickel (# 8363) on :

I was never very ambitious, in academic or work matters -- so nothing much to mention in those areas. But dogs! when I was growing up, we could never have pets because I was allergic. Turns out, I was (and still am) too allergic to tolerate living with a cat, but dogs are okay! Over the past 17 years, we've had five. Always two or three at a time, not consecutive.

Posted by Zappa (# 8433) on :

Took singing lessons. A while back now, but it was worth the terror.

Posted by Twilight (# 2832) on :

Learned to drive. Like Ariel, I had a big phobia, mainly through seeing some really bad accidents as a child. It took me until I was age 33, after failing three tests, to finally get my license. I'm still not really comfortable with it.

Not driving had lots of impact on my life. There were no buses in my town, so jobs had to be whatever was close enough to walk to and those jobs didn't pay enough to afford college, even if one of those had been close enough to walk to. So I'm quite the uneducated underachiever -- but I've always enjoyed good health from all the exercise!

Posted by Spike (# 36) on :

Stopped smoking

Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :

What have I achieved that I never thought I would? Children. Never thought I would ever get married let alone produce offspring. And having done that; I can honestly say there were times I feared I might not see them attain adulthood. The fact that they survived me and I survived them is also quite some achievement....

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :

A breakdown [not an achievement!] led to me retiring at the ripe old age of 48! I have travelled a bit both before & since and now live the life of a Lotus Eater in the eternal warmth of the Tropics.

When working I also achieved the bit about being paid real money to talk about sex all day [Sexual Health worker/trainer], something I had never really envisioned. It is not nearly as exciting as it sounds and there are still forms to fill in for the Ministry, etc.

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Twilight:
Learned to drive. Like Ariel, I had a big phobia, mainly through seeing some really bad accidents as a child. It took me until I was age 33, after failing three tests, to finally get my license. I'm still not really comfortable with it.

Yes – for me it was seeing a full-page picture of a car that looked like a concertina after a collision. That sunk in much more than I realized at the time. I think I was about 48 or 49 when I finally passed my test; driving is one of those things that’s better learnt when young. When you’re older you have less of that sense of confident invulnerability and more understanding of how dangerous the roads can be; and there are still routes I won't attempt.

Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :

quote:
Baptist Trainfan: Surely time travel trilogies get published before they are written?

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :

Also, and what I understand is a moderately rare achievement, I was happy in my various jobs for most of my working life!

Posted by Macrina (# 8807) on :

I can rollerskate.

I can rollerskate forwards and backwards. I can turn from forwards to backwards while skating. I can skate on one foot. I can stop (without hitting walls) I can do crossovers on both sides.

I never thought I'd be able to do that.

The first time I put my skates on I asked 'how do you stand up in these' and everyone thought I was being hilariously funny.

Posted by Barnabas Aus (# 15869) on :

First in my family to enter tertiary study - now have bachelor's, master's, one undergrad diploma and two postgrad diplomas. Gave it away when I was 50 and worklife made study time hard to find.

Happily married for 37 years, three children, one foster-child, four grandchildren and two more on the way. My mother thought I'd never marry, but she lived to see us celebrate our silver wedding.

Posted by Eigon (# 4917) on :

As a child, I first wanted to be a librarian (from the age of five) and later, thanks to an inspiring teacher (thanks, Mrs Carrier) an archaeologist.
I've managed to sort of do both - I was a library assistant for the Metropolitan Police for a while, and I was also the first of my family to go to university where I got an archaeology degree, and spent 4 years as a professional archaeologist. And now I work in a bookshop - the ambition was always to be surrounded by books, and now I work in a building which has about 200,000 of them!
As a child, though, I never suspected that a town like Hay-on-Wye existed, far less that I would end up living here and working in a variety of the bookshops over the years. If I had known, I'd have come here far sooner!

Posted by cosmic dance (# 14025) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Banner Lady:
What have I achieved that I never thought I would? Children. Never thought I would ever get married let alone produce offspring. And having done that; I can honestly say there were times I feared I might not see them attain adulthood. The fact that they survived me and I survived them is also quite some achievement....

This is my story too Banner Lady. I honestly thought no-one would ever marry me. And now I have a wonderful quirky husband and four amazing sons. I have done other things I can be proud of, but this is my best achievement.

Posted by Graven Image (# 8755) on :

So many things. A great long lasting marriage. Came from family of failed relationships. A degree in later life.. I was told when young that education was a waste of money for girls they would just get married and never use it. Decided later in life to do it on my own. This led to a career that proved to feel very meaningful. Learning to swim. For a whole lot of reasons I was afraid of the water. Just being up to putting my face in the water might well be my crowning achievement.

Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :

I learned to fix things and put other things together. The first thing I fixed was a leaky kitchen faucet. (It was a lot less expensive than buying a new one.) I cried, but I fixed it! Then I replaced the heating element in my oven. Didn't cry that time.

Then, I bought a gas grill in a box. Putting that together I sobbed. My poor dad had to encourage me on the phone several times. But, I did it! Never again. The next two grills were already put together when I brought them home.

There are many other fix-it things, but won't go into that!

I overcame a lack of interest in home repair and construction just because of necessity. It would never be my life's work!

Posted by Hilda of Whitby (# 7341) on :

Developed a work ethic. I had no idea how to comport myself in the workplace, so the first couple of jobs I had when I graduated from university in 1978 didn't go well. I realized I didn't want to remain a library clerical assistant who couldn't get promoted and that I had better pull up my socks. I readjusted my attitude, got a master's in library science in 1985, got better and better jobs, and at the end of 2014 retired as the cataloging supervisor at the United States Senate Library. I would never have predicted that in 1978 when I started my first library job; nor would any of my then-supervisors, I'm sure.

I've maintained an exercise program for over 30 years. I was a total couch potato until I got to be around 25. Then I read Jim Fixx's book on running and realized that *anyone* could do this--you didn't have to have any real athletic ability to be a recreational runner. I started running, then added cycling, then added "aerobics", then added strength training, then added yoga. At this point in my life my exercise program is yoga, walking, strength training, tai chi/qi gong, and riding my bike.

I can read German. I do not read with great ease, and have been pegging away at it for years. It was a huge personal accomplishment when I finished an entire book in German--a biography of Liesl Karlstadt, a comedian/actress who was a huge star in Munich and the rest of Germany from the 'teens to her death in 1960. One of my retirement plans is to work on my German reading fluency. I have several books in German about Liesl Karlstadt, her partner Karl Valentin, the Munich entertainers known as "folksingers", and the history of Munich and Bavaria. I look forward to making it through all of them.

Posted by MSHB (# 9228) on :

Survive. At one stage in my life I couldn't see any future for myself. Depression and worse were real possibilities.

Marriage (and sex). For a long time these seemed impossible. I didn't know how other people managed to get into relationships, let alone do that. But I have been married for over 30 years now and have grown up children.

A career, and a reasonably successful one at that, with a few published papers (I am not an academic, but I am the author of a publication that appears in one of the Harvard Library catalogues, which make me smile with the absurdity of it all - it is silly and great at the same time).

A diagnosis which explains why I always felt like I was different to the majority of people: in my fifties I was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome. At last! I finally understand! But in previous stages of my life, I thought I would never know why I felt different, and thought there was probably some genetic difference that would only be discovered long after I was dead. So this diagnosis is very satisfying: I was right!

Becoming a voluntary worker with young people on the autism spectrum. I never thought I would be able to do something worthwhile for other people ... until I discovered that I could do something worthwhile for other people on the spectrum. That has been very satisfying too.

I have lived. And it has all turned out better than I expected - well, except I never did become an astrophysicist, as I once imagined I would.

Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :

I was an avid fan of the Chalet School series as a child, and wanted to be fluent in French and German as the girls in the books were taught to be. Don't know about fluency, but I did live in French speaking Belgium and in Germany as an adult, and functioned in both languages.

I also wanted to sing. Having gone into English Language teaching post Uni, I studied privately and eventually joined opera choruses in Belgium and Germany. I've also taken the Alto solos in a large swathe of oratorios. After some years as a professional chorister and occassional soloist, I made it to full-time singing teacher. English teaching has been a thing of the past for over a quarter of a century, for which English students can be very, very grateful.

Almost all my work has been enjoyable, barring that first ill-chosen five years, of which it can at least be said that it funded my singing lessons.

I own my home, something which inmy itinerant life seemed unlikely, and am owned by my cats.

Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :

I got both hands to a cricket ball this afternoon. That may not sound like much but I couldn't catch for toffee as a kid, still not the safest pair of hands today, but we needed two wickets to win the game, I was bowling the last over, and the batsman spooned it up to the vacant shortish extra cover. I hurled myself in at it, eyes glued to the ball, and caught it in both outstretched hands as far forward as I could be without falling on my face.

Apparently it was a stunning catch. I don't really care - it was my catch and I took it. After all that we didn't win, the last batsman survived three balls to draw the game, but maybe a finish that tight was justice?

AG

Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :

Owning my own home. I have always been a bad saver, but once I had a mortgage I had to sort my priorities and pay it off. (with some advice from a wonderful retired businessman from the church I was then attending).

Graduating with a Masters in Education.

Huia

Posted by Bene Gesserit (# 14718) on :

My degree - I was far too immature to go to Uni straight from school, and the Open University has been a Godsend.

My career - it didn't start well but has improved over the decades - helped v greatly by my degree!

Posted by Sipech (# 16870) on :

I qualified as a chartered accountant.

After finishing my degree I promised myself that I would never sit another exam. Only ending up homeless and unemployed I took the first offer that came. I didn't realise at the time that it would be a further 3 years of study and exams.

At the end of it, I can assure you, having taking lots of exams in a variety of subject, that UK tax legislation is a lot more complicated than quantum mechanics.

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