Each of us makes decisions that we later regret. We asked three women from the same family: "What was your biggest mistake?"
Our series "3 generations tell"
In the editorial office, we regularly discuss topics that move and occupy us – finding a partner, love, parents, beauty, the meaning of life or our relationship to the job. It is noticeable again and again that the different generations tick very differently.
That is why we launched the series "Tell 3 Generations", in which we let women of different ages have their say. It's worth checking out again and again!
Today is about the topic To regret. We asked three women from one family: "What do you regret the most?"
Sophie (21) would have liked to escape the social pressure after graduation
Many years before I knew what a degree actually meant, I was certain that one day I wanted to go to university. Even as a high school graduate with good grades, nothing else was an option for me. Everyone around me was only talking about the various universities, numerus clauses and application deadlines.
Without thinking too much about it, I applied for a very general course, true to the motto "you can do everything with it later." I never thought about vocational training or a direct career start after graduating from high school.
Today I regret that I only went to college because I felt it should be. An apprenticeship or a more practical course would have been more suited to me. One should not always orientate oneself to one's surroundings when it comes to making important decisions.
Christine (57) says: "I got discouraged way too quickly"
Opera singing has fascinated me since I was a young girl. Today I am a violinist and I love my job. And yet there is always a little bit of regret about a decision that will soon be 40 years old.
When I was 18 I started studying the violin at the music college and took singing lessons on the side. Singing excited me and I knew I wasn't bad. I would have loved to register for the opera singing exam, but my self-confidence was too small and my shame too great.
One day I finally gathered up all my courage and took the exam. One professor gave me positive feedback, but I heard from another that I had little potential. Immediately discouraged, I gave up my secret dream and from then on concentrated only on the violin.
Today I know that I just lacked the confidence and courage to stand up for my dream and that I shouldn't have listened to the opinions of individuals.
Suzanne (92) regrets that she is financially dependent
A lot has changed since my youth. Back then, as girls, we weren't as free to make decisions, our path was more predetermined and it was very difficult for us to lead an independent life. Today it is quite normal for a woman to live alone, earn her own money and live as she wants.
I have studied but never really worked. As a result, I was financially dependent on my husband my whole life. This is something that I regret from today's perspective.
All these years I have volunteered and been actively involved in society, but I've never been completely independent. Everything happened in consultation with my husband – a woman needed the consent of her husband for every step.
I watch with great admiration the courage and zest for action of my daughters and granddaughters, who lead a self-determined life. Every woman should maintain her independence as a wife and mother in order to be able to make decisions freely – something that was not yet possible for me.
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