What are your defining moments?

[G]

1) Winning the british junior canoe slalom championships, and then thinking how easy it had come.....only to then realise how much effort my parents and I had put in over the years and it all being worthwhile.

2) Getting my final year uni results and seeing that I didnt have to resit anything and all the hard work had actually meant I got over 80% in all my final exams, I just wish I had revised for the rest of the years now .

3) My little nephew dieing making me realise that life is way too short, live it while you can.

Blimey, a good post Darren.

First was meeting my real Dad when I was 15. I remember waiting at the window watching the people walking down the road. Each time I saw a man I decided in my head if he was the one or not. Every one that walked past I wished and wished he would not turn and walk down the path to the front door. Then I saw a man and knew straight away it was him. I was then wishing and wishing he WOULD turn and walk down the path. He did. Will never ever forget that.

Next was joining the Army at 18. I went from serial criminal heading on a one way path to prison and doom, to being the person I am now.

Obviously there is the birth of each of my children. Each one of them gave me the exact same feeling. Horror and dread. I have created this little thing and now I have the task of making sure they do not make the same mistakes as I did and not follow the early path I did. Scared me to death. Still does.

My second marriage. Oh my god why in the hell could I have not met her the first time round? I just could not be without her now. She is everything I am not and wish I was.

The death of my best friend. We were on the same intake joining the army and followed each other throughout our military career. He was closer to me than my own brother. It's been 10 years since he died and I miss him still.

Bosnia. Spent time there as the UN Protection Force and as UN Implementation Force. Seen some damn ugly things. Not cool and put a lot of things into prospective.

Out of all the ones above. It has to be the joining the Army. That is my most defining moment. I reckon that turned my whole life around from that point on. Without that I would not be the man I am now. Ironic then to think I just used the 'I want to join the army' line as an excuse in court to try and get out of a charge of arson.

Its a good thread, but its also quite difficult. I mentioned three things that have been defining moments, but then there have been so many other moments.

Getting my first guitar

first time i rode a motorbike (I was so scared, but once i was doing it it felt natural to me)

cousins death

neice's birth (she;s so sweet, she's nearly walking, needs a little help though but if you hold her hands she takes you where she wants to go lol i love her to bits and would give my life for her)

I know these moments have guided me on the path I'm taking through life now, but there are so many other things that make me who I am

Most life defining moment I guess is being born into a loving family. Can't be defined more than the environment you're born into?

Oh maaaaaaan!!!!

To many to mention........can i have 10??

The title is defining moments, not best or most memorable. I wouldn't have thought there were that many defining moments in anyones life. I thought the ones I listed were rather a lot, but each one of them definitely steered the course of the life I was on at the time.

Originally Posted by BigApe

I have created this little thing and now I have the task of making sure they do not make the same mistakes as I did and not follow the early path I did. Scared me to death. Still does.

If it scares you to death, that probably means you're doing a good job

My defining moment was probably getting my SV. Made some great friends and rode to some fantastic places.

1. Leaving home aged 21.
2. Death of father
3. Decision that IVF was not for us. It ultimately paved the way to adopting our daughter.

Yep, my moments were in no real order but meeting Nicky, my wife, was the best thing that ever happened to me. I spent two years working in Ireland, desperate to meet someone special only to move back to the UK and meet Nicki and fall in love within a week. What's ironic is that she is also Irish!

1) passing my bike test, i gained my own freedown and grew up alot from that point onwards.

2) picking myself back up and dusting myself down after the messy split from my ex and then 2 weeks getting knocked off my bike-it all made me more confident, stronger and weirdly happier-mainly as i had to start from scratch again but feel ive done a damn good job (new bike, new job, new life basically)

3) getting together with matt-neither of us were looking for a realationship and it took alot of talking and thinking-glad we did it though.

4) Helping my mum deal with my dad getting (and recovering) from cancer and then supporting my dad when my mum had a stroke this year

1. Being knocked off the bike and spending a month in Intensive Care . Was told I wouldn`t walk properly again , set out through a lot of pain to prove them guys wrong , and I DID .
2. Supporting a friend who was abused by her Stepfather , she`s now married with kids and is a Barrister , I used to go to the town where she lived and spot her stepfather and give him a hard time , last time I saw him and half throttled him , he skipped town never to be seen or heard from again .
3. Having a gun pointed in my face and then telling that person "I`m going to rip your arms off" and watching them run away , made me move from London and come back home , was months later when I realised what could have happened and cried about it . I still hunt for that person when I am in the area on visits .
4. Learning to play guitar , getting a record deal and then binning it all as I realised it was all tosh and was much happier playing at home to amuse myself .
5. Becoming xXBADGERXx , it isn`t an alter ego , it`s a way of Life