What I would have done differently from the age of 17 ish to 31 (I'm 34 now):
1) I would have realized that I didn't NEED a man. I would have seen that I was fine on my own with my friends and having a date didn't mean a damn thing.
2) I would have seen that the guys I was dating were losers and treated me badly... and they wouldn't have made it past dating me a week.
3) I wouldn't have married one of the above mentioned losers and stayed with him for 5 years. Even though I vowed to stayed married until the day I died... I would have pulled my head out of my butt when I realized what a miserable loser he was, and I would have gotten the heck out.... unfortunately, I waited till he did it (once he decided to lose jobs, use my money, cheat on me and start using speed).
Even though my history with men has been depressing and dismal... it has made me the woman I am today. I don't put up with anything.
If a man can't treat me right, he's gone. I won't even blink an eye. My current boyfriend knows this... thus he has treated me wonderfully for 3 years.
"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather, to skid in broadside thoroughly used-up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming: WOW WHAT A RIDE!!!!"