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This is a question Failed Projects

You start off with the best of intentions, but through raging incompetence, ineptitude or the plain fact that you're working in IT, things go terribly wrong and there's hell to pay. Tell us about the epic failures that have brought big ideas to their knees. Or just blame someone else.

(, Thu 3 Dec 2009, 14:19)
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Too many to list
but I'll have a go:

The Bicycle I was going to build for myself from the frame up, got it all built, even rode it 10 miles or so then took it off the road to sort out a few niggles with the gears & brakes, should have been a half hour job. 3 months later, I have started taking bits off it to put on another bike I bought on Gumtree for £20

The Theremin kit I was so happy to get for Christmas 3 years ago, loved the idea, really enjoyed all the soldering etc, got it 95% done and it sit's at the back of a cupboard to this day, can't find the will to spend half an our to finish it even though I still want a Theremin.

The novel I was going to write, been stalled at half a chapter for the last 5 years.

The Tattoo wanted at 21, thought I'd just wait a while to be sure. I'm now 34.

The Leather jacket I really loved with the torn lining. Cut out the old lining, cannibalised an old shirt to make a replacement, made new pockets from some old fabric.... and left it in a cupboard for 2 years and counting

All these I regret, but they are small potatoes next to the all time biggie: Project Grow The Fuck Up.

A little background:
I met this girl in my late 20's, we got pretty close pretty quick, which was good, because one and a half months in, she told me she was pregnant, I was a bit gobsmacked at first but soon got into the idea and stated looking forward to being a dad. The pregnancy, wasn't easy, nor was the relationship, we both had our issues but somehow we got through it together.

My son was born, the best moment of my life and the one thing I can never regret.

Things were OK for a while but the relationship, by now a marriage, was going south fast, too many problems all round, no communication, too many differences in basic outlook, blah, blah blah.

This is when I came up with Project Grown the Fuck Up. I cut my hair off (previously uncut since I was 16) chucked out a lot of my grungy/metal clothes, and bought new respectable ones. I ditched the nickname everyone had called me by for the last 10 years and started going by my given name (which I never liked much) again. I even gave up on some of my oldest friends who I thought were not good for me. I also started taking Prozac to calm my mood swings in an attempt to level off my personality and make myself a bit less depressed/emotional

Basically I turned my self into a much more "respectable" "grownup" person, I decided that if I could just keep this up all would be fine and dandy and I could be a good father to my son and a good husband to my wife. After all everybody has to grown up some time, don't they?



Two years later...... The divorce Papers are going through and I get to see my boy on alternate weekends. It's not great, but at least the time we have I can concentrate on him and be the best father I can. I've recovered some of my old clothes from the loft, reconnected with the friends that were worth something, and got a nice spiffy red Mohawk. Life is not perfect but I'm finally off the happy pills, I'm feeling OK with myself for the first time I can remember since I was 10 and I have a wonderful new woman in my life who accepts me as I am and seems to love me anyway.

The moral of this story: it may hurt to give up on something you've put so much of your self into (6 years in this case) but some times it's the best thing to do.

Apologies for length/lack of knob gag.

Also, first time, be gentle.
(, Fri 4 Dec 2009, 16:07, 5 replies)
A good first post.
If there is ever a place to tell 'your story' it's here.
Everyone is as normal/f@&ked up as everyone else.

Welcome.
(, Fri 4 Dec 2009, 16:16, closed)
^ username of the week!

(, Fri 4 Dec 2009, 16:19, closed)
Doing similar myself
I feel more like myself now that at any time in the last 10 years!
(, Fri 4 Dec 2009, 16:47, closed)
The Tattoo wanted at 21, thought I'd just wait a while to be sure. I'm now 34.
Wise, mate. Very wise. Spent quite a while covering up the complete and utter shit I had tattooed when I was in my late teens / early twenties with decent stuff.

I swear the first bloke who attacked me with a tattoo gun was drunk, blind, mad, or a combination of all three.

Welcome, by the way - great post. Now go and get some ink done! If you want classy I'd recommend a great big wolfs head covering your chest... with your nipples acting as the 'crazy eyes'.
(, Fri 4 Dec 2009, 17:21, closed)

Cheers guys, the warm reception means a lot. :)
(, Fri 4 Dec 2009, 18:01, closed)

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