Regrets … We’ve Had a Few

Marrying the wrong person is the greatest regret for almost one out of five people (18 per cent) over the age of 50.

The survey, done on behalf of a British website for seniors (Silversurfers), didn’t reveal how many were still married and how many had split.

However, another survey a few months ago found that one out of two people who had divorced later regretted it.

You do the math (I greatly regret that I’m not good at math).

It’s all as bewildering as the difference between how people look on dating website profiles and how they look in the coffee shop.

It may well be that a good percentage of both marriages and divorces are mistakes and that leaves us with singlehood, a situation in which many people regret finding themselves.

In fact, the same survey about regrets also revealed that one out of ten respondents over the age of 50 said that falling in love again was on their “bucket list” of things to do before they die.

Again, no clue was given as to how many of that 10 per cent were still married. But if they were, maybe they were hoping to fall in love again with their own spouses.

But there I go being a wretched romantic again…

Among the other top ten regrets experienced by these British boomers and beyond:
– 23 per cent said they hadn’t seen enough of the world
– 19 per cent said they did not save enough money for retirement
– 17 per cent regretted never telling their parents how much they meant to them
– 15 per cent wished they’d asked their grandparents more about their life.
– 16 per cent regretted prioritizing work over family life and hobbies
– 16 per cent regretted working long hours
– 15 per cent were sorry they hadn’t spent more time with their children
– 15 per cent regretted never having learned a musical instrument

The most popular pick on bucket lists was travel:
– One out of four dreamed of going on a cruise around the world
– 17 per cent wanted to fly first class
– Others wanted to travel to go on safari, travel in North America or live abroad
– About one out of ten had a yen to swim with dolphins