20 votes

What's an experience you had that taught you a valuable life lesson?

For me it was when I went with my family on vacation to Knotts Berry Farm. My parents gave my brother and I each a set amount of money (I think $10). We went in a store in the park and I bought the first thing that grabbed my attention, a change purse that said Knotts Berry Farm. Mind you, I'm a 5 year old boy that has no use for a change purse. No idea why I did it, impulse I suppose.

My brother took his time and searched the entire store carefully. After looking for a while he found in the back corner they had a toy section. They had GoBots for sale. He got a GoBot. I still had my change purse.

I asked my parents if I could return my change purse and get a GoBot and they said nope. They explained that I made my choice and in the future I should make more thoughtful choices. I'm now in my 40's and my wife and kids regularly reference the change purse story as I'm very careful in researching anything I purchase to avoid another change purse incident. My wife has searched for years to find that stupid Knott's change purse as a memento of our beloved family story.

Love to hear other people's life lessons

5 comments

  1. [2]
    Comment deleted by author
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    1. TheBeardedSingleMalt
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      I remember reading your summation of this on another post...and damn that has to sting. Sorry to hear.

      I remember reading your summation of this on another post...and damn that has to sting. Sorry to hear.

      4 votes
  2. [2]
    GGnPhx
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    "Once bitten twice shy baby," I've had this happen more than once, twice as a matter of fact. Now days when I see certain shifts in company matters/issues and coworkers attitudes change or go...

    "Once bitten twice shy baby," I've had this happen more than once, twice as a matter of fact. Now days when I see certain shifts in company matters/issues and coworkers attitudes change or go sour, I go directly to the managers and start asking about the mood and attitude changes and make my mind up if I stay or move on, I don't wait for the bomb shell to hit everything and splatter all over...the second time I saw and read the signs and got out of harms way with a backup plan and moved on

    1 vote
    1. idrumgood
      Link Parent
      Yea buddy, I left my last job just as I started to sense things were headed in a bad way. I got a lot of flack from colleagues, especially since I had just been paid a retention bonus (in lieu of...

      Yea buddy, I left my last job just as I started to sense things were headed in a bad way. I got a lot of flack from colleagues, especially since I had just been paid a retention bonus (in lieu of an actual raise...). But boy am I glad I left when I did, the next year the company imploded and split into two.

      1 vote
  3. [3]
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    1. seanwmoore33
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      Completely agree! it's amazing how much better some things are for a marginally small amount of money. For just 10% more you can get something that doesn't break the first time you use it or make...

      Completely agree! it's amazing how much better some things are for a marginally small amount of money. For just 10% more you can get something that doesn't break the first time you use it or make you miserable

    2. idrumgood
      Link Parent
      I feel like the inverse of this is true though too. Like diminishing returns on stuff like this. A $400/night hotel room is probably going to be just as good as a $600/night hotel room, all things...

      I feel like the inverse of this is true though too. Like diminishing returns on stuff like this. A $400/night hotel room is probably going to be just as good as a $600/night hotel room, all things considered. At some point the balance flips, unless you're paying for like penthouse suites!