The most satisfying thing you've ever done

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Well maybe not the most but close.

Here’s mine:

I was at school aged about 13/14 and this twat took to bullying me at every opportunity.

One day I thought “OK that’s enough” I waited around a corner of the school tuck shop, a pal gave me the nod when bully boy was approaching the corner.

I swung a 3 feet length of branch right across his shins and down he went with a scream, I was on him in a flash.

“Don’t-ever-fucking-come-near-me-again-or next-time-it’s-your-face”

He never bothered me again.

OK you may think I was a bit extreme but hey if I’d let him continue my life would have been misery for the next 3 years or so.

2

My brother and I used to have this babysitter that we hated. She must not have been very much older than we were, because as I recall it, she always wanted to play school, or house. Naturally she would play the role of teacher or mother, and we would be the bad kids, getting in trouble. (Not for actually being bad, it was just the way the game went). As punishment, we would have to stand in the corner or hold our arms out from our sides until they ached. Plus, she was just bossy and pushy and ick.

So anyway, we had no use for this girl, and one day we were in her room and she was playing her records. She showed us one in particular and told us it was her favorite song. (It was called “Patches”.) A short time later, I noticed that she had laid it down on her bed and it was partially covered by the blankets. I deliberately placed my knee on it and made to crawl up on the bed. Now, in those days, children, records were made of brittle plastic, and when I put my weight on it, her record went snap! She grabbed up the pieces and ran out of the room crying.

My brother and I looked at each other and had our first silent little bonding moment.

3

The most satisfying violent thing I’ve ever done was buy a sawed off shotgun to kill somebody. The moment I had it loaded and was ready to do the deed was a feeling like no other I’ve had. Even though I didn’t go through with it, it effected the change that made it no longer necsessary to do it. I guess what was most satisfying was that I didn’t have to go through with unlike most of the physical confrontations I’ve been in. And there was the fact I didn’t go to jail. Yeah, there was that.

4

After 4-1/2 years of on-campus college and not being able to reach a degree, finishing my BA at night school while holding down a full time job in the military at age 33. First person in my family to complete college.

Second thing would be paying off our mortgage early.

5

Dung Beetle Now that I like, I really do

6

I know the most satisfying thing I’ve ever done will occur this June when I graduate from my college.
Being in my cap and gown and recieving my diploma and realizing that I survived 4 years of stress, precious snowflakes, fast-paced and material-crammed courses, horrible Kalamazoo weather, crazy roommates, flat out insane housemates, studying abroad, a thesis, and comprehensive finals…yeah, it’s gonna feel damn good.

7

Recently? Getting into grad school. I was told by several people in my life not to try, because it was too hard to get in, think of all the work etc. But I did it. And now I’m almost done.
Also, helping my daughter (rather, supporting her) while she overcame her trichotillomania. She now has a gorgeous head of hair and she is off meds.

8

Holding my daughter in my arms 28 yrs after surrendering her to adoption.

I had never second guessed that decision, I knew it was the right thing to do. I knew I’d have to live with it the rest of my life, and that it would not be easy.

I never allowed myself to imagine such a day could come. And then it did.

Yeah, satisfying doesn’t quite do it justice.

9

Quick background: The camp I go to has a program called CILT which is supposedly to train you to be a good leader / counselor. There’s quite a bit more to it though, including a backpacking trip both years. When I was a CILT, Pep lead all the outdoor stuff. Pep is about 60 years old and the toughest woman you’ll ever meet. She can outhike anybody at camp. She doesn’t believe me when I say she’s scary but others agree with me.

The first year we were hiking home. I’m DYING. My pack is heavy, I’m exhausted, and we still have the stairs from hell to go up. I just give up. Pep and Terry (the other leader - and another badass) are both telling me to suck it up and get up there. I manage to stumble up, hyperventilate for awhile (honestly) and later find out my pack was one of the heaviest (and I was one of the smaller CILTs)

Second year, as I recall was a longer trip. We roughed it (no toilets, no running water. YUCK). But I make it down without complaining. Hardest freaking thing I’ve ever done, but even Pep said she was proud of me.

Honestly, my CILT graduation means more to me than my high school graduation. It was a hell of a lot more work.

10

Natural childbirth. This is a cliche for a reason. The feeling of having that bowling-ball-shaped head OUT and then seeing my infant son, startled and interested and kind of slimy: Nothing like it in the world.

11

Making it into law school.

I always wanted to be a lawyer. But I was told at age 14 by my high school, as were my parents, that I wasn’t a good student, and that I might be more suited for something other than university–trade school perhaps. Y’know, plumbing or welding or truck driving. All fine vocations, but my Mom hit the roof and demanded I work harder, so I did. And I managed–just barely–entrance into one of Canada’s finest universities, from which I graduated with a BA degree. Still, law school was a distant hope, and economic necessities meant that I needed a job first.

So I worked. I was a technical writer, which was a fine career when the market was good. When it was not so good, I got laid off. At those times, needing work, I took what I could. I ended up being a janitor, operating a forklift, lecturing once a week at a college, working in a casino, being a movie extra, being a karaoke host, selling beer, working on the line in a factory, and doing other things here and there. And yes, driving a truck. Hey, at least I went for the gusto and learned to drive an 18-wheeler. My Dad always said any job was a good job if it earned an honest dollar, and I only ever earned honest dollars.

Realizing at age 44 that I wasn’t getting any younger, and finishing a tech writing contract without any prospects on the horizon, I decided to apply to law school. I wrote the LSAT, filled out all the apps, submitted supporting documentation, and waited. And surprise, surprise, I was admitted!

This spring, I hope to be one of the few University of Alberta law graduates who was also licensed to drive an 18-wheeler. My class A-Z (trucks over 6.5m with air-brake endorsement) license has long expired, but my association with drivers, factory workers, and others in marginal jobs; plus my years in business and in non-traditional-law-student jobs have given me an appreciation for the problems and challenges faced by my future clients. But I managed admittance to law school, and I hope I can do right by my future clients, whom I know through experience.

12

Violent thing:

I finally snapped and hit a girl who’d been bullying me for the past three years in elementary school. It wasn’t the right thing to do, and I feel bad about it now, and I know I should’ve just walked away–but God, that felt good.

Non-violent thing:

Making it into the Gifted program in high-school.

13

Nice work Spoons!

When I saw my first acceptance letter from law school I though, “I have a future now?” It was the strangest and most satisfying feeling of my life.

Even after I sent out all my applications I still thought there was a chance I would be turned down by all the schools. I spent four years in college basically trying to get into law school. Taking the classes that I thought law schools would like the most. Now I finally get to study what I really want to study, and possibly make a career out of it.

It feels good.

14

Graduating college was nice, hearing my wife agree to marry me was nice, getting good at the guitar was nice, writing a new song and knowing it’s good is always nice and of course, being a parent is full of satisfactions, large and small, but I think maybe the most personally satisfying, mission accomplished, “I can’t believe I did it achievement” I’ve ever had is quitting smoking and staying quit. The realization after several months that I was really over the cancer sticks and not going back was quite gratifying. I think because it was something I’d thought I would never really be able to do.

15

Singing in the choir for Mahler 8 at the Albert Hall in London a few years ago.

16

My last day as a supply teacher in London - there was this one class that had been a complete nightmare for the whole 8 weeks that I was there, and one girl in particular who loved muttering things at me under her breath, just loud enough so that I could tell they were derogatory and directed at me, and if I asked her “What did you say?” she would reply “NOTHING!!” in that aggressive pre-teen way that they have. As the lesson came to an end and the class began to storm for the door, I announced that I would not be back after the holidays. This young lady pipes up and says “Why? Daaan you like us or somfink?” - to which I muttered “No, you’re just the whole reason I’m leaving”. “What did you say?” she demanded - “NOTHING!!” I snapped…

MAN it felt good…

:slight_smile:

17

Private Pilot checkride

My first solo aerobatic flight

Getting the news that my book was going to be published

18

I’m going to have to go with getting on a plane and going to spend a summer in Mexico by myself as a volunteer English teacher living with complete strangers. I cried the entire flight there and left the waitress at the airport a 200% tip, because it was the happiest day of my life. Until that moment, my anxiety had always held me prisoner – I always canceled the trip or dropped out of the race at the last minute, because I was afraid. That trip took so much mental preparation, and involved so much work… in fact, I spent an hour a day, for three months, on the 4th floor of a parking garage leaning over a railing just to get over my fear of heights so I could get on that plane. I forced myself to be okay with terror. And it changed my life, because once I did that, I realized that my life had no limitations except the ones I imposed on myself. Having fear was no longer an excuse to bail out. Mexico changed everything. Thanks, Mexico.

19

Getting my degree. Lots of shit going on, but I still managed to graduate with a 2:1.

20

Well, I took a really satisfying crap after lunch. Does that count?