Flared Pants
I wanted to be trendy, so I bought flared pants. While going down the stairs, I caught my pant leg, tripped, and hit my head on a radiator. I broke two front teeth, which I had fixed at great expense but still don’t look good, and I ended up with a big scar on my forehead. People meeting me for the first time immediately ask what happened to my head—it’s really annoying.
Lifestyle
I believed life would be better in the suburbs than in the dirty city, so I swapped my downtown apartment for a nice house and got a dog. Now I spend at least three, often four hours a day stuck in traffic. I miss out on social life because if I drive, I can’t drink, and if I take the train, I can only get home on the early morning train. (So most evenings, I just stay in.)
My weekends are spent mowing the lawn, and there’s no caretaker to call—I have to fix everything myself, and there’s always something wrong with the house. I can’t move back to the city because my dog would go crazy in an apartment all day. I can honestly say I deeply regret moving to the suburbs.
Why Bother
As a young athlete, I always skipped warm-ups and stretching. Now, at 35, my body is paying the price: everything hurts.
Without Protection
I had unprotected sex with a guy. We both took the pill and got tested beforehand—neither of us had any infections. Still, I caught a severe urinary tract infection that needed multiple rounds of antibiotics. It wrecked my immune system, my symptoms lingered, and I was eventually diagnosed with bladder pain syndrome.
Anger
My favorite soccer team lost, and in my frustration, I kicked the door. I broke my toe, but it healed poorly and still aches when the weather changes. I even have to get custom shoes because regular ones press on my crooked toe.
The Offspring
I had a child. Honestly, I never wanted one, but my partner pushed so hard that I believed it would be fine. I love my son, but if I could go back, I wouldn’t have given birth. I feel like a slave and want my life back. My husband doesn’t understand what’s wrong. How do I explain that I ruined my body, mental health, career—everything?! And I feel guilty because I love my child.
Overdoing It
I pushed myself so hard at work that I burned out and wrecked my health. I’m constantly anxious, I hate the job I once loved. I can’t sleep well, and when I do, I never feel rested. I can’t focus on my hobbies because I feel guilty for having fun instead of working. I can’t relax or recharge. No job is worth sacrificing yourself for.
In Place of Kindness
I let my daughter’s boyfriend stay with us for a while. In the end, he caused damage worth several thousand dollars, and once, when he was drunk and raging, I had to barricade myself in my bedroom. I finally kicked him out, but my daughter was so angry with me she didn’t speak to me for two whole years. They eventually broke up and she came back, but our relationship will never be as close as before.
Disorder
During college, I struggled with bulimia. I made myself vomit because I wanted to be slim but couldn’t control binge eating. Few talk about the long-term effects of this eating disorder, but it weakens your immune system, causes osteoporosis and heart problems, and the acidic vomiting damages your teeth (I have a dozen crowns at 32).
The Jump
The kids convinced me to jump on the trampoline with them. I landed badly on my butt and felt like a bomb exploded in my spine. I broke a vertebra. I had to wear a rigid brace for six months, and my back still hurts so much sometimes that I take painkillers by the handful.
