What is the most impressive/notable achievement of your lifetime?

Tragically Hip?

O, Canada wrote:

tttttt wrote:

Had to be Barenaked Ladies.

Crash Test Dummies? Nickelback? April Wine? The Band?

I've got 10/10 from several posters.

Hold my high school record in 1600m & 3200m. Almost 20 years now.

Graduated college. First to do so in my extended family, only one to do so in my immediate family.

Aberdeen Proving Ground NCO of the Year.

Winner 20th CBRNE Best Warrior Competition.

Current physical goals: sub 3:00 marathon and 405 deadlift in the same month.

Current work goals:CBRN Warrant Officer

Alan

I have had the same savings account at a bank for 42 years. Got it when the bank first opened and I was #62. Wonder if there are any accounts still open with a lower number.

Not much money in it though.

My other notable achievement is having a ticket to see a baseball game in the Astrodome and it was rained out.

Wow, that's rough dude.

I know running doesn't solve everything but when you get home you need to go for a nice slow run to unwind.

Then I guess you need to just start working every day on improving one facet of your life. Talk to your child/children and let them know you care.

Screw what everyone else thinks/says about you. Best of luck.

In 12th grade, I was written up in the local newspaper as having won my high school's "Male of the Year" award (supposed to be "Male Athlete"). Didn't help though; I still went to college with my cherry intact.

Lots of other satisfying stuff has happened in my life since, but nothing particularly "impressive" or "notable. Male of the Year though - I guess I peaked in high school, like so many others in this list :)

Won an award for showing up and finishing last

Discovered some important stuff on the Kip Litton thread. It's been a quiet life...

most importantly, i married a great girl, and have two super sons. other than that...

was all conference in basketball, soccer, and track in HS. Had the 800 and 1600 records at my HS (along with the 4x400 and 4x800. All were ridiculously slow (2:05, 4:35, and I don't remember the relays. Did any school in America have slower records? yes, I'm male).

graduated 2nd in my HS class, went to a top private school on a good scholarship (scholarship b/c my family was poor). got a full ride fellowship to grad school, got a PhD in engineering from a top 5 school, post-doc at another top 5 school, now tenured at a top 15 or 20 school.

that all sounds great, but i feel like i've pissed away half of my life (in my 40's now). have battled depression and haven't amounted to much at all professionally. haven't kept up with old friends. moved my family 12 hrs from the rest of my (and my wife's) extended family for my faculty job. don't really feel like i'm contributing much to society. often wonder if i would have been happier teaching science/math at a high school and coaching.

High School Cross country MVP

Waited until late 20's to get married

Late bloomer, but married the best woman in the world

Didn't climb corporate ladder

Debt free by 45

Emotionally, Physically, spiritually healthy, (except I brag a little)

3 healthy well adjusted adult children

2 grandchildren

The invention of the internet gets my vote. Of course, I didn't have much to do with that.

I'm not long past 60 and have been alone in life for decades but, fortunately, don't have your other problems. I really feel for you, friend, and I hope you can get some help, or have some good friends. Life can be really hard, but every life has some dignity.

I have two other thoughts for other posters:

First, when I saw the title of this thread, I immediately realized some guys my age would write in talking about your kids. I never had the good fortune to have children, and I have tremendous respect for those of you who have been good fathers. With that said, when I see fathers talking about their kids as their greatest "accomplishment," I wonder if the adult-children don't get a bit shortchanged. Children are not soley the result of their upbringing. They deserve primary credit for the adults they have become. Again, I say this with much respect to their parents.

Second,to those of you who are young and feel like you have accomplished little, remember that most of your life is ahead of you. Keep after it: more possibilities lie ahead. Good luck.

Sank a North Vietnamese patrol boat with a torpedo.

In a couple years, your answer will be "saving a life".

For me it's being an organ donor and funding a cataract surgery through the Himalayan Cataract Project. I learned about it from this message board.

Don't give up! Sounds pretty miserable so far but things can always turn around. And you might just have something positive to transmit to someone else down the road who's going through the same ordeal. Keep the faith!

I'm Impressed wrote:

lease wrote:

Either having been a U.S. Presidential Scholar (how sad is that, to hit your peak in high school?),

or else having started the women's track & field/cross country teams at three major universities.

Count me as impressed. Seriously, that's doing something.

Yeah, but I did that by the time I was 32. Pretty much downhill since. Thanks for kind words though.

Worked my way from temp of a small office branch of a paper distributor to VP of Northeast Sales. Helped bring the company into the 21st century by, among other things, completely revamping the company website. Unfortunately got a little too caught up in the fast paced life of NYC and ran into drug addiction. Shortly after, was arrested for fraud but got myself on the right path with community service (don't need a judge to tell me what's right) and got my old temp job back. After going with some friends to Thailand (sort of), I snagged a job at my local bowling alley before getting recruited by my old boss to start a new paper company, which was eventually bought out by the previous paper company I worked for! Unfortunately, due to budget constraints, I was once again forced to take a job as a temp at my original company, but that gave me all the time I needed to start my social networking site WUPHF.com, which I sold for profit.

Sorry if I rambled a bit but it's part of my story!

2:5X low Marathon 18 mos after quitting smoking a pack of day for years and not having run a step until age 21.

Phi Beta Kappa/Cum Laude + T-14 Law School after dropping out of school on 1st attempt and not studying for LSAT

Slept w/ Established Model, UCLA Cheerleader, All American High Jumper without trying.

Have done everything my way, cuz its f*ck or walk pal, and I have brass balls, and Ive Always Been Closing.