What are you proud of in your life?

Reading the regrets thread, I thought that maybe some people would like to let us know what they’ve done that they’re proud of. Could be anything. It’s actually a more difficult question than I first thought, particularly if you’re emotionally stunted it seems.

i once pulled a foot long tapeworm out of my bottom

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I’m either emotionally stunted (most likely) or haven’t actually achieved anything I’m particularly proud of.

I would imagine you’re going to get loads of people telling us about their ace kids but I don’t believe it was particularly difficult getting my wife pregnant and I’m certainly not taking any credit for my son’s character, good as it is.

Our offspring is wonderful, but I think that’s in spite of my influence not because of it.

There’s the point on Clydeside where I can stand and see the Armadillo, the Hydro, the Finnieston crane, the Barclay Curle crane and a bunch of other things, and know I’ve climbed them all without asking anyone. That always makes me grin.

I grew up in a shit hole council estate, left school with zero qualifications, got the sack from Sainsbury’s and got a job packing and loading wagons in a factory.

Since then I have travelled the world, been to uni, done a season in a ski resort (not working, just snowboarding) have an actual career (Civil Engineer), own 2 houses, been with my missus for 20 years and have 2 great kids! I have a great life, but still seem to be a miserable shouty bastard!! 😀

Felt nice organising and completing the Leeds/Liverpool on my tod in a day, on the wettest July day imaginable and raising £1200 for a local young carers charity.

Im 6 seconds off a KOM (currently second out of 198) on a road climb locally. I did it on my HT with slicks on, pissed and stoned at 3am. VERY proud of that! 😆

I’m pretty proud of having got a PhD and having work published despite being told I wasn’t suitable for A-levels at school.
Have taught kids who have left school with some great qualifications, proud of all of them too.

My son is double plus awesome as well 😆

Loads:
my daughter and the relationship we have despite splitting with her mum.
managing to get a pretty well paid job after being such a slacker for years.
finishing the trans-provence in 2011 despite broken ribs and being a londoner.
going back to uni and passing my degree in my 30’s.

interesting, theres a couple of ‘despites’ in these… I guess I am resonably proud with being able to survive in life and make best do with what ever shit gets thrown at me.

I’m most proud that I’ve got a graduate-level professional career without finishing uni, and that I got on a bike in 2006 and stopped being a slob.

Finishing the 20th Anniversary of Ironbike this summer in Italy when over half the those that started didn’t, also coming a respectable 21st out of 40 odd finishers

There are other things but this was the toughest to achieve

Proud of marrying my beautiful wife
Proud of doing a bit of freelance scribbling in a time when journalism seemed to have hit a wall
Proud of doing Cycle 2 Work day (95 mile round trip, out the house from 04:00 to 19:30)
Proud of being commending for my efforts by the Royal Marines when I tried (and failed) to join for the second time (they didn’t say it the first time)
Proud of doing eight rides up the Tumble in a day (12 000 feet of climbing in 75 mile on a Kona hybrid) for TumbleUp4Life
Proud, after having never left home before, of getting my first passport and heading for Europe to work for six months in 1998
Proud of my road KOM (now sadly just fourth) with an average of 50.3mph down Edge Hill
Proud of my lovely family and friends, with which I’m truly blessed
Proud to have got off me backside and joined an amateur dramatics club
Proud of losing four stone in eight months before me wedding

Wow, I didn’t think it would be that easy, but when I think about it, there’s loads of things I can look back on quite happily – nothing you could write a book about, granted, but that’s not what this is about. Thanks, OP, for cheering me up on an otherwise fairly dispiriting day. 🙂

‘working’ with some of the most profoundly autistic individuals in the UK, when staff/people ask them “do you want a receipt?” or “would you like a bag?” instead of ignoring them and talking to me.

Oh and being nearly as fast as Peachey on rush up rock blast, it was dark and i had no lights.

12 years in the military, 4 years in the Middle East. Spending the last two years travelling and especially the six months I spent in Cambodia, amazing place.

Cambodia, amazing place

nods in agreement.

I am most proud of the fact I am still alive, despite my best efforts to not be 🙂

I can do this…

On Sat a toddler fell on an escalator facing upwards, fingers against the edge of the stairs. Three females were panicking but not moving to pick him up- I roughly shouldered through two of them and scooped him up by his forearm. Apologised then carried on walking down the stairs.

TBH the gap probably wasn’t wide enough to hurt his fingers but hey I feel proud of doing that without thinking 🙂

I’ve never really thought about it. I think like most people you just do things as they come along, make decisions, make choices, have a go at things, fail at things, succeed at things, find things you’re good at/not so good at.

I suppose looking back there are a few things I’m glad I did, things I worked hard for – putting in respectable lap times and finishing positions at Hawkstone Park (holy grail) at the Redbull Pro Nationals in 2010 -2012. Getting a couple of DH podiums in seniors at FOD and Llangollen. Getting the opportunity to work with a few magazines as a writer (more luck and being brazen enough to actually approach the editors than anything else) but I can’t really think of much I am actually proud of.

TBH the gap probably wasn’t wide enough to hurt his fingers but hey I feel proud of doing that without thinking

When I was a nipper I fell down the escalator in the old John Lewis in Brizzle. I trapped my palm in the feeder at the bottom and it got cut up quite badly. The manager gave me a lolly and I remember being quite pleased with the deal. Glad it wasn’t my finger.

I finally beat my dads 1982 half marathon pb of 1:21:20 by 7 seconds last month.

I doubt he’ll be getting that one back as a V60 😉

Hawkstone Park (holy grail)

Respec’.

1st place calligraphy prize at the village flower show.

My children.

Getting my first (real) job out of uni in something I will enjoy.
Got the offer today. Very proud. Feels like the hard work paid off.

wrecker – Member

TBH the gap probably wasn’t wide enough to hurt his fingers but hey I feel proud of doing that without thinking

When I was a nipper I fell down the escalator in the old John Lewis in Brizzle. I trapped my palm in the feeder at the bottom and it got cut up quite badly. The manager gave me a lolly and I remember being quite pleased with the deal. Glad it wasn’t my finger.
I remember seeing a kid in Canada getting his shoe munched once by an escalator, fortunately he got his foot out. Am somewhat paranoid about them now.

Hawkstone Park (holy grail)

Respec’.

A man who knows his motocross landmarks?

Going back to Uni at 31 and getting first in Design/Engineering BSc, despite working and doing a few other things.

My Daughters (aged 6 and 3) the older one is a coeliac and drags her arse to School everyday even when she is feeling rubbish.

The little one had a terrible start in life due to birth complications, however she is a tough little bird and continues to shake off all the ailments she had at birth.

My Mrs, as she works her arse off, and looks after me and the kids.

My sister-in-law for supporting my little brother though 6 years of cancer (sadly this journey is about to end, and not in a good way)

Only one thing I can think of. When I was 20-ish, I was part of a relay team for the Belfast marathon 1 week before the event as someone dropped out. I was to run the 2nd stint of 7 miles. Felt good at the end of that so ran to the end. I guess I was proud I ran 21 miles with no training apart from playing football 2/3 times a week at that point.

Not proud, but feel privileged to have had many wonderful experiences, and gratitude toward the many fine people I’ve shared them with.

I suppose I should contribute.
I’m proud of my military service. Went to some pretty spicy places and I hope that in some small way we contributed to improving the lives of those with miserable existances which are beyond the imangination of most of us. I’m proud of my green lid, and of the blokes who I helped train get theirs.
I’m proud of my mum for bringing me up on her own as well as working on the desks at the DHSS(!) to make sure I didn’t go without. We lived in a council flat for most of my upbringing and never had luxuries but I realise that she did her very best. I didn’t make it easy at times.
I’m proud of my dad for finally recognising he has a problem with drink, and facing up to it. In fact this thread has prompted me to tell him this.

If we are allowed to be proud of family members I’m proud of my mum who took the death of my dad from lung cancer and having to bring me (who was 2 at the time)and my brother (who was 5)up on her own and turned it round to helping others in the same situation as a Macmillan nurse. Everyday at work she relived that experience and firmly kicked it in the ass.

bike stuff..

completing all rounds of the UKGE series this year
my lack of fitness and skill were noticeable

finishing the 70k route at the Toq roughride in June (see fitness comment above)

I like to think that I’ve gained a bit of a reputation amongst my peers for doing what’s right, even in the face of overwhelming adversity.. And that I’ve hit rock bottom more than once and managed to bounce back stronger and brighter with a more cheerful grin and even more full of mischief..

Still being able to shoot it over my shoulder.

Digging up IED’s with my finger tips in baking heat, and keeping a smile on my face while doing it.

This is a funny one and I must be emotionally stunted (can someone explain what that actually means?).

A few years ago I was doing an MSc in Project Management through work and one of the lecturers went round the room asking what we were proud of. I said there was nothing in my life that I felt proud of as such (this was pre-kids, but saying your proud of your kids is cheating!) and the lecturer gave me a right emotional kicking saying I need to look at myself, etc. and stuff that I’ve forgotten now as his opening line just knocked me for 6.

As a kid pride was something frowned on and ugly, but as an adult I can see there is a difference between pride and showing off or delusion, but it’s still difficult for me to think of anything I’m proud of that I may have done. I’m sure I’ve got lots to be proud of, but I never see it in that way.

Getting clean and Sober 18 years ago and never looking back….

My wonderful kids (More a credit to their mum than me)

Being able to support my Mum and siblings this week as we Said goodbye to my Father after Liver cancer finally claimed him 🙁

Being a far better human being than I was 20 years ago

not being a junkie any more, coming out as a transsexual, getting on to a nursing degree course, and getting a degree in history.