[UnBubba]

I'll start by saying the worst year in my life was 1985. I lost my mom and dad in the course of three months. Both were in their late 50's.

This particular cycle of events ocurred out of the blue. I was riding a high cycle right up to this point. Time has a way of catching (sneaking) up to you.

I have never experienced (before or after) anything that could be worse than this, in my life. 1985 was "the worst year in my life". What was yours? I am interested, if you would like to share.

[Jemian]

My bad year started in 2003. My dog died. Exactly one month later, my daughter's dog died. Then, she and I were in a motorcycle accident. Then my mom was diagnosed with liver cancer. At Christmas she told me there was no change and not to come home (at the time I was living on the opposite side of the world from her). In February 2004 she died. At the end of April my dad announced his engagement. My family moved back to the states in the summer. In September my dad was married. That left taking care of my grandmother to me during Hurricane Ivan. She continued to deteriorate until her death at Easter this year.

This isn't as bad as others have had it. It just is a lot of challenges for an extended period.

[satchmodog9]

Bad shit happens to us all. Some dwell on it, some move on. I hope George goes even more nutso dwelling on it. Another GOP landslide in 2006 should do it.

[Forgiven_Sinner]

My most stressful year was 1986. My father in law died. We bought our first home, my wife was pregnant for the first time, she had a miscarriage. She got pregnant again,got pre-eclampsia and had a premature C section. Our baby was in intensive care for 30 days and in the hospital for 50. We got severely ill for two days, so violently ill we could not leave the bed. Our daughter turned out to have cerebral palsy. That was a rough year.

But we got through it with faith in God. My worst year was 1969, when I entered Junior High School and 7th grade. I was pestered by bullies, got my first in school swat, and lost my friendly relationship with the first girl I fell in love with. At that time, I had no belief in God and I felt down, frustrated, and angry most of the time.

[clamper1797]

1992 ...
My favorite Grandparent died
I lost my 10 year job
My bathroom burned
My dog died
My truck was stolen
and my wife left me ...
so at least one thing went right

[Michael Goldsberry]

The collapse of my marriage resulting in divorce a decade ago.

In hindsight, I understand that we made a mistake and everything worked out for the best, but it was very difficult back then.

[Chickensoup]

The year I was nineteen. I was in and out of the hospital with an undiagnosed eptopic pregnancy for one month before it was found and removed...along with some of the parts. I then was ill for a year and given at one point six weeks to live. I lived in a bleak rural setting with a husband who was working 14 hours a day. I couldn't walk or move much at all. I had not much family and they sent plants that I killed with ineptitude. I was wrapped in blankets all day on the Morris chair with easy listening music on (it was the only calming music I could manage)taking toxic amounts of chemotherapy waiting to die or get better. It was so difficult a time I couldn't even talk about it for years without tearing up.

[jocon307]

Well, I'm not sure about the worst year, but the last two months have been very difficult. Extremely difficult. I'm hoping things will start looking up again soon.

[Diego1618]

I had to bury my 17 year old daughter in 1988. That was, and will be, the hardest thing I will ever have to do.

[Ditter]

My worst year out of an otherwise wonderful life was 1984. In Jan my mother died. Her death was not as sad as the life she had led for 5 years as a stroke victim who could not speak or walk but it was a sad good bye to a wonderful mother. Then in Oct of '84 my father died suddenly. My 18 year old son came home from college for dad's funeral and 24 hours after we buried daddy my son was killed in an accident. I stopped grieving for my dad and began grieving for my son. Occasionally I would be so low that I wanted to talk to my dad (I was already used to the fact that I could not talk to mom because of her stroke 5 years before). I would dial daddys number and then remember he was gone too. Then I would grieve for him for a few hours before I went back to grieving for my son. All in all it was the worst year I can imagine having and I survived. It took me 3 years to pull it all together and during those 3 years I am sure other lesser, normal sort of tragedies occurred, but I felt bulletproof where sadness and tragedy were concerned. With the help of God I made it and I know with his help I can make it thru whatever else life holds in store for me. So cowboy up George Clooney! (you lilly livered liberal)

[Dashing Dasher]

Dear George,

Switch with me - or maybe the countless single parents out there working two jobs or even three just trying to keep a roof over their childrens' heads and some food on the table.

Poor little Georgie... did the world find out you were potentially trying to hide your sexual perversions?

Tough buggers.

"The worst year of your life" is a vacation to most of the world.

Shut up and sing.

DD

[cowboyway]

Amazing how many people included the death of a dog with their worst year story.

I had to put my Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Jake II, down on December 19, 2001. He was only 5 but the cancer got him. It was a sad day. I dug a grave, built a casket and lined it with a camo blanket and buried him with a hand made cork mallard decoy and some other duck hunting items. That dog loved to hunt.

Reading these posts got me to remembering the lyrics to a Commander Cody and The Lost Planet Airmen song, Down to Seeds and Stems:

Verse 1
I'm sittin alone, Saturday night, watching the Late Late Show.
A bottle of wine, some cigarettes, I got no place to go.
Well, I saw your other man today; he was wearing my brand new shoes,
And I'm down to seeds and stems again, too.

Verse 2
Well, I met my old friend Bob today from up in Bowling Green;
He had the prettiest little gal that I'd ever seen.
But I couldn't hide my tears at all, cause she looked just like you,
And I'm down to seeds and stems again, too.

Chorus
Now everybody tells me there's other ways to get high.
They don't seem to understand I'm too far gone to try.
Now these lonely memories, they're all I can't lose,
And I'm down to seeds and stems again, too.

Verse 3
Well my dog died just yesterday and left me all alone.
The finance company dropped by today and repossessed my home.
That's just a drop in the bucket compared to losing you,
And I'm down to seeds and stems again, too.
Got the Down to Seeds and Stems again Blues.

[AmishDude]

The worst year of my life was last week.

I just wish I could remember it.

[Gay State Conservative]

2004.The finest man to ever walk this earth,the man who always has been and always will be my hero,died:

My Dad

[eleni121]

He's short, unmasculine, undesirable except for the most dimwitted nymphettes (nymphs?)and a poor excuse for an actor.

No wonder he's depressed. He should take a page from Willis, or Bogie or Gibson and start acting like a man.

[Squantos]

Dear George Clooney, clearly your karma is in line with uranus.......

[SweetCaroline]

While riding her bike home from work, my eighteen year old daughter was killed by a drunk driver on June 11 1982.

[birbear]

2001 was pretty bad, but I think 2002 was worse.

I was hospitalized with a disability I'm still suffering from. I lost a good job, had to drop out of school (three units shy from my degree), my wife decided that it would be better if she treated me as a friend rather than a wife, so I had to move into a smaller apartment, and she kept the dog.

Most of my "Friends" didn't want to deal with me in my condition, so I lost contact with most of them. About the only thing I was left with was the support of my parents and a friend and they were all 700 miles away.

But I did save a bunch of money by switching my auto insurance to Geico.

So there's always a sivler lining.

[lowbridge]

1975: Parents separate for good. (Divorce not too long afterwards). Mother gets custody of us kids. We go on welfare and endure a decade of back breaking poverty. (Father, by contrast, built his own business and lived/lives quite comfortably)

1995: I fall off a step ladder on an off the books job. Breaking my foot and fracturing and disfiguring my shoulder. Operated on my foot. Put a couple of screws in there. Put in a wheelchair for 4 months. Have to learn how to walk again. Now walk with a painful limp. I used to be able to walk for miles (and enjoyed it), but now cant even walk from one room to the other in my own home without discomfort or pain. (I was hoping to join the Army)

2004: One of my cats died. And also lost the use of my car because didnt have the money to have it fixed (it all went to vet bills). So to get to work and back home, I had to rely on public transportation. Problem was that the only bus stop nearest to my house was a 20 minute walk.

So, I would walk to that bus stop to take the bus to the train station (a ten minute ride). Then I had to wait for the train to come which was around 50 minutes. Then the train would take me a couple of stops (another ten minute ride) where I would endure another 50 minute wait for another bus to come and take me from the train station to my job (another ten minute ride).

As a result, I spent only 30 minutes riding, but two hours waiting/walking around for busses and trains. Both ways. 5 days a week I did this through the entire fall and wintertime. Walking through rain, snow, heavy wind, and freezing temps as well as waiting around in such weather for my train and busses to to come pick me up. It wasnt untill the weather got warmer this spring was I finally able to get the car repaired. (Taking a taxi to and from work was out of the question: Too expensive)

[sassbox]

2000 - Abusive relationship

[MoochPooch]

In 1976 my mother died of breast cancer, after trying to conceal her disease from the rest of us. While she was in the hospital, my sister had to go in as well to have a brain tumor removed.

Back then I felt that my world was collapsing, and that, if G-d existed, He sure as hell didn't like me. Now I see where I gained the strength to carry on & gain greater independence.

Maybe finding the silver lining in the dark cloud is a way of avoiding the self-pity mode.