What has been the most growing experiance for you thus far in life?

Letting my parents know I was agnostic. I was really terrified they were going to overreact. Even though letting them know this has pushed us much further apart, I’m very glad I did it, it’s helped me express myself more, and speak what I believe. Thinking for myself.

Three years of drama school.

getting rid of my old friends helped a lot. they were always mean to me and i just didnt like it. i found new friends and im smiling literally everyday. it helped a lot and i dont think i would have gone far, socially and ecademically, if i would have stayed with them. now i can finally express my thoughts that i never could explain to them. i could actually have a serious conversation for once.

Spending six months in a wheelchair when I was 26.

For me it has been a series of things from watching my daughter grow to getting married. I can’t pin point any one thing but a little bunch of things that act on me to change my life for the better.
If I had to choose one, I guess it would be the day that I decided to only see life as golden. Even when things are bad and I feel super crappy, I still just chant a little mantra to myself….
Life is golden
Life is golden
Life is golden

going to jail. i knew it wasnt for me. i sorta straightened my act out after that. i went three times in a year and a half. i only stayed the night each time. thank you pops fpr posting bail. i havent been arrested in six years.

Living abroad changed the way I see the world. I am totally grateful.

Death of a parent, marriage and fatherhood, all within 15 months of each other.

SRM

Being diagnosed with a chronic disease at age 3, the death of my step-father and recognizing that I grew up with very backwards views towards race. That recognition forced me to critically evaluate all of the other “truths” that I had been taught in childhood.

I’m sure becoming a dad in several months will also be a huge growing experience.

I was quite sick for a very long time (about a year). Almost didn’t graduate because of it. I wouldn’t have if I hadn’t finished highschool (all but gym) sophomore year. I probably should be dead.

The thing that strikes me hardest about the whole thing, although I don’t remember a lot of it in detail and am just starting to get back bits and pieces of the time now, was the fact that my boyfriend stayed with me through it all.

Almost 10 years of Crohn’s Disease and raising a son with Autism (Asperger’s Syndrome).

@ketoneus – You’ve never had your “breath taken” away until the first time you see that baby. Congrats.

I’m sure many other dads can attest that the first moment is the most amazing of your life.

(Sorry for the back-to-back DoubleFluther™)

Once when I was in Eight grade, I went to Seacamp in San Diego. At one point during the trip we went snorkeling off the coast of Mexico’s Corronado Islands. We were so far from any land but the small cone shaped Islands, with nothing else around. So when Snorkeling, it was only our group out there in the vastness of the pacifiic ocean. I could see the sea-floor beneath the water, it looked to be no more than six feet or so from my body. Anyway, when I turned around to head back to the boat I looked up and saw the deep, dark blue sea staring back at me. Now, I’m from Colorado, so this is the first time I’ve seen the Ocean at such magnitude. It absolutely blew my mind. I had never felt so frightened and insignificant before. As frightened as I was I felt so enlightened, it showed me how beautiful and haunting the world could be and how important it is that I live the life I want to live, I felt that within this insignificance I could be ultimately powerful. I felt that, “if I’m just this little spec of the earth and what i do isn’t going to matter in the long run as just one person, than I may as well live the most fulfilling and carefree life I could conceive” . This one moment has affected every decision i’ve made since.

The Landmark Forum. I did it 7 years ago, and still am impacted by the power of that work.

This may sound very wierd lol but…

Not having an xbox for a while, I have learnt that there are more things in life than just call of duty 4 lol. I’ve been going out a lot more having a great time. When i got my xbox back i rarely went on it. I was proud of myself lol

Raising my daughter. I like to tease her and tell her we grew up together.

Being in the military really made me grow up and taught me how to survive on my own. It taught me I could accomplish anything. – Special Forces US Army-Desert Storm Era

Is this where “gooch” came from? Cool name, btw.

no its a 1st grade nickname from Different Strokes bully

It reminds me of something Roscow Picotrain would say, from Dukes of Hazzard.

Having the love of my life taken away from me by bad people.