# You can undo one and only one decision you made in the last year. Which one do you choose? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 14, 2011, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-undo-one-and-only-one-decision-you-made-in-the-last-year-which-one-do-you-choose/606181 "2011-12-14T16:09:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-undo-one-and-only-one-decision-you-made-in-the-last-year-which-one-do-you-choose/606181/1 "2011-12-14T16:09:11Z")
I think this notion is pretty simple, so no setup is really need. But some of you are masochists and always want one, so I’ll spoiler-box it for them. As part of Evil Inc’s annual campaign to ruin Christmas for everyone else, we have opted to eschew the usual subtleties in favor of a frontal attack on Santa’s workshop. The original plan was to simply nuke the North Pole from orbit (it’s the only way to be sure), but Kringle’s _Star Wars_-type shields prevented that. Instead we just sent orcs riding wooly mammoths and armed to the teeth. Results were mixed. We were able to destroy all most of the stockpiled toys and murder all the male elves, but the Claus-beast himself managed to escape; and of course we released the elf-maids and youngsters alive and unmolested, as Rhymers do not harm women and children. (I’m sure this old-fashioned mercy will not come back to bite me.) Anyway, the workshop is ours. Inventorying its contents I have discovered how Santa accomplishes his great feat each year. Bastard has a time-skipper, which in addition to allowing St. Nick to stretch Christmas Eve for a really, really long subjective time, allows the user to travel backwards in time, no more than one year into the past. I know, I know, I should just trash it. But my dinner of reindeer venison and Noldo blood has left me feeling loggy and a little sentimental, so I’m opting instead to make the time-skipper available to Dopers between now and Boxing Day, at which time it goes into the volcano. You may use it to travel to any date between 26 December 2010 and 10 December 2011 and undo one bad choice _you yourself_– and nobody else–made. What bad choice you made in the last year would you care to change, given the chance? ---
**Author:** ![perfectparanoia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a5b964/32.png) [@perfectparanoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/perfectparanoia)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-undo-one-and-only-one-decision-you-made-in-the-last-year-which-one-do-you-choose/606181/2 "2011-12-14T16:16:52Z")
I would have not rushed out the front door on November 15th and thus not have a severely sprained ankle when I have craploads of holiday stuff to do. (Four weeks in and I can’t walk properly.) ---
**Author:** ![AngelSoft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angelsoft/32/440_2.png) [@AngelSoft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelSoft)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-undo-one-and-only-one-decision-you-made-in-the-last-year-which-one-do-you-choose/606181/3 "2011-12-14T16:24:39Z")
I would have listened to everyone else and my own gut feelings and not gotten married. I knew I didn’t love him, I knew we weren’t a good match but I felt it was the best for our daughter and thus went through with it. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to just ‘deal with it’ for her sake and five months later we were separated. If I had just not ignored my better sense, I’d have saved myself a lot of stress and anxiety and him a lot of money on top of it all. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-undo-one-and-only-one-decision-you-made-in-the-last-year-which-one-do-you-choose/606181/4 "2011-12-14T16:34:17Z")
I don’t regret anything that I did, but I regret a few things that I didn’t do. If I could change one thing, I’d have exercised more. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Il_Palazzo)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-undo-one-and-only-one-decision-you-made-in-the-last-year-which-one-do-you-choose/606181/5 "2011-12-14T16:41:12Z")
I’ve made some bad decisions in the past year, but most of the problems they’ve caused were the results of lots of little bad decisions rather than of one big one so this is actually a tough question. I suppose the best I can come up with is that I wouldn’t have put my transit subsidy vouchers “somewhere safe” and would have instead left them right out in the open like I usually do so I wouldn’t lose two months (about $360) worth of reimbursable on my train tickets to and from work. It’s more minor than the ones other have posted, but it’s the best I’ve got. > [@tdn](#): > > I don’t regret anything that I did, but I regret a few things that I didn’t do. If I could change one thing, I’d have exercised more. I thought of the same thing, but decided that counted as more than one bad decision (I decided on lots of days not to excercise rather than making the decision once not to excercise much this year) so I didn’t count it. ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-undo-one-and-only-one-decision-you-made-in-the-last-year-which-one-do-you-choose/606181/6 "2011-12-14T16:43:32Z")
I would have gone to the North Pole and stolen the time-skipper before it got into Evil Inc’s hands. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-undo-one-and-only-one-decision-you-made-in-the-last-year-which-one-do-you-choose/606181/7 "2011-12-14T16:44:59Z")
You didn’t think that one through, **cornflakes**. ---
**Author:** ![Palo\_Verde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Palo\_Verde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palo_Verde)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-undo-one-and-only-one-decision-you-made-in-the-last-year-which-one-do-you-choose/606181/8 "2011-12-14T16:56:46Z")
I wouldn’t have hire that company to paint my kitchen. They did a terrible job of it. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Il_Palazzo)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-undo-one-and-only-one-decision-you-made-in-the-last-year-which-one-do-you-choose/606181/9 "2011-12-14T17:12:00Z")
> [@Palo\_Verde](#): > > I wouldn’t have hire that company to paint my kitchen. They did a terrible job of it. That reminds me of another candidate for mine: I wouldn’t have ordered my window shades from Home Depot. The shades are nice and pretty much exactly what I wanted, but the service was terrible and expensive and took forever. There were at least 4 occasions when I went into the store to do something related to my order when I waited nearly a half hour before getting to actually talk to somebody who worked there and on 2 or 3 of those occasions, the person I talked to could only say that there were no people who could help me working that day/shift and that I’d have to come back later. It just about drove me insane. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-undo-one-and-only-one-decision-you-made-in-the-last-year-which-one-do-you-choose/606181/10 "2011-12-14T17:16:56Z")
I can’t think of anything too monumental, so I’ll say I wish I didn’t wear my 5 Fingers shoes on the hike to Red Mountain back in May. I ended up with tendonitis in my right achilles tendon that bothered me for months. It really cramped my hiking choices and ability to scramble around. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-undo-one-and-only-one-decision-you-made-in-the-last-year-which-one-do-you-choose/606181/11 "2011-12-14T17:20:18Z")
June 11th. I don’t want to go over the details but I nearly ruined my life that day. That day has cost me a fortune and I’ll be feeling the consequences for several years. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-undo-one-and-only-one-decision-you-made-in-the-last-year-which-one-do-you-choose/606181/12 "2011-12-14T17:20:36Z")
I would have stayed down in my hometown for a few extra days when my mom was in the hospital. We knew it was only a matter of time before she was gone, but we didn’t know how long it would be. We had our cats boarded and I needed to get back to work, so we decided to head back home. Two days later she was gone. I wish I’d stayed those two days (and maybe one more after). ---
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Juicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Soylent\_Juicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Juicy)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-undo-one-and-only-one-decision-you-made-in-the-last-year-which-one-do-you-choose/606181/13 "2011-12-14T17:37:39Z")
I wish I’d actually trained for my first marathon which will be in January. It’s going to be a long, slow, painful day… ---
**Author:** ![GoodOmens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@GoodOmens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GoodOmens)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-undo-one-and-only-one-decision-you-made-in-the-last-year-which-one-do-you-choose/606181/14 "2011-12-14T18:46:19Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > I don’t regret anything that I did, but I regret a few things that I didn’t do. If I could change one thing, I’d have exercised more. That sounds about right for me. I’m not sure that counts as one decision though. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-undo-one-and-only-one-decision-you-made-in-the-last-year-which-one-do-you-choose/606181/15 "2011-12-14T18:49:57Z")
I would not have tried to move shit at the Habitat warehouse that I knew was heavier than I was capable of handling, and thus not sprained my back (or compressed a disk or whatever the fuck I did that has had me on limited movement for the past two months). ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-undo-one-and-only-one-decision-you-made-in-the-last-year-which-one-do-you-choose/606181/16 "2011-12-14T19:48:27Z")
I would have pushed my designer harder on my remodel to use less expensive but just as or almost as good materials, and gone with a different cabinet maker. I probably could have saved at least $5K that way. I know, I know, first world problems and all that. It’s the only major thing I can think of that I would re-do. Roddy ---
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-undo-one-and-only-one-decision-you-made-in-the-last-year-which-one-do-you-choose/606181/17 "2011-12-14T19:53:39Z")
Open this thread. \ 😃 ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-undo-one-and-only-one-decision-you-made-in-the-last-year-which-one-do-you-choose/606181/18 "2011-12-14T19:57:18Z")
I should have taken that left turn at Albuquerque. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-undo-one-and-only-one-decision-you-made-in-the-last-year-which-one-do-you-choose/606181/19 "2011-12-14T20:19:39Z")
I found exactly ONE shower door to replace the current one I have that would fit. Goodby Kholer. Jesus. I had to return FIVE of them because of defects. Defects not found untill you put the damn thing together which takes pretty much all afternoon. It’s still not right. I had to wing it. They even stopped asking me to return the old ones and just sent me new ones. At one point I had 3 of the damn things. These are $500 doors. It was FINALY pretty clear that they had screwed up royaly I threw them out. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-undo-one-and-only-one-decision-you-made-in-the-last-year-which-one-do-you-choose/606181/20 "2011-12-14T21:38:02Z")
I wish I didn’t do whatever it was that I did that made him want to leave. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-undo-one-and-only-one-decision-you-made-in-the-last-year-which-one-do-you-choose/606181.md?page=2)