I've never seen Star Wars

[YCCMB]

The above thread title is a bit misleading, as I have.

However, it's the title of a Radio 4 show which I've occasionally enjoyed, where people admit to never having done things which the rest of the population seem to take for granted. It occurred to me when reading another thread about Christmas Dinner, and several people extolling the virtues of bread sauce, which I admit I've never tasted in my life. It even seems to me to be some kind of oxymoron.

So, it caused me to wonder whether there's anything that's generally regarded as "normal" that you have never done?

[Lehaut]

Never watched a "reality" TV show, Coronation Street, East Enders, X Factor, or Strictly or bought the Sun.

Used the phrase "you know" (no I don't).

Bred children and not taken responsibility for them.

Been in debt I could not cover.

I could go on, but then I don't consider myself as normal, but I know I am not normal so its OK

[Loiseau]

Never seen Star Wars!

Or ET.

Angela

[nectarine]

I've never seen 'It's a Wonderful Life' which I really really really want to see but it's never on the box at the same time as I'm sitting in front of it.

I've also never cooked a Sunday roast which is dreadful, really, when all the other women of my age can knock together an impromptu 3-course supper for ten that's worth of a Michelin star, at a moment's notice. I'm hard pressed to throw together cheese on toast for me and Mr. Nectarine (he does the cooking)

I've also never watched Strictly Come Dancing!

[YCCMB]

I've never seen "Gone with the Wind" or "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" which, apparently (at least according to anyone I've mentioned it to when it's come up in casual conversation) is a gap in my life. Although I tend to disagree.

[Chancer]

We should celebrate what we have been missing, it reflects our individuality and refusal to run with the crowd.

It takes a conscious effort to avoid most of these 'normal' things' be it getting up from the television or having the strength of character to not do the things that Lehaut cited (I thought they were excellent).

I have seen the film Its a wonderfull world, the video was given to me as a christmas present by a good friend who had must have a perceptive insight into my state of mind at the time (sha always chooses superb presents), a great movie to "remonter le moral".

I have watched it a couple of times since when I needed a boost, a conscious effort whereas I could have just remained on the settee and been exposed to Star Wars or X factor like  'normal' people do!

[Rabbie]

[quote user="Lehaut"]Never watched a "reality" TV show, Coronation Street, East Enders, X Factor, or Strictly or bought the Sun. Used the phrase "you know" (no I don't). Bred children and not taken responsibility for them. Been in debt I could not cover. I could go on, but then I don't consider myself as normal, but I know I am not normal so its OK[/quote]Just as a matter of interest how do you know you wouldn't enjoy  a "reality" TV show, Coronation Street etc if you have never seen them. It sounds a bit like IIRC the Guiness advert from many years ago when someone said  "I don't like Guiness. I've never tried it." Perhaps you should make your own judgements and not just trust to preconceptions based on other peoples opinions. It never hurts to live a little

[NormanH]

I have never been skiing. This is not quite as bourgeois a pursuit in France as it may be in the UK, since all around me seem to do it.

I never went to a 'colonie de vacances' when I was young either.

Nor have I ridden a motorcycle.

[woolybanana]

I have never seen Norman, which is a mutual blessing, I suspect. As to Norman on a bicycle with skis in the colonies, say Ghana, the mind boggles.

[YCCMB]

Indeed. I've never been skiing, either. It's always struck me as a complete waste of a good holiday, as I hate winter, I'm not fond of snow, I have a bad back, dodgy knees and vertigo. Apart from that, I can think of no reason why it wouldn't be my perfect holiday! Oh, yes I can....I hate queueing and I look like Bibendum in anything padded.

[idun]

There are lots of things I haven't done in my life.

I haven't watched Braveheart, or Titanic (Cameron version), or Avatar. All of which I am assured are great films by friends.

I've seen Coronation Street, I suppose there was so little on our two channel black and white tv that most things were at least 'tried' and so I saw it with Ena Sharples and Leonard Swindley, I don't think that I have seen it in colour.  And yet I know people who watch it.

I cannot say that I don't like reality tv though, I like programs where people are say for example put on an island and have to learn to live with little or put in the middle of the wilds and have to get to X to get picked up. So a sort of reality tv, but not say the jungle thing or big brother neither of which have ever even grabbed my interest.

I'll give most things a try, usually with careful consideration first.

And skiing, I have, but I haven't ski boarded, I don't 'get' that. I do love a ski holidays, even as an old gal with bad knees I could happily spend a week or so in a ski ressort and not ski but I'd be fussy about where I'd go though, Avoriaz, or Switzerland or Austria. For all I did sunny beach holidays with friends in my teens, you couldn't pay me to go and sit on a beach even in the sun, that wouldn't be a holiday for me, I'd hate it.

[Lehaut]

To answer Rabbie's question, my reply was to indicate the things I don't do that "normal" people do. All "reality "shows are a misnomer, they are not real ie they are a lie. I don't watch them as by the very implication of their names, they are IMO not worth watching. The hysteria that has been associated with some of them would indicate that lots of "normal" people think they are real - yet another good reason to avoid them. (both the shows and the "normal" people!!)

Why not Beastender etc? when by accident they flit across my screen, the characters always seem to be shouting at each other. If that is how "normal" people behave, I do not wish to be associated with their programmes, nor have our children think that is how life is lived.

If you want "reality soap" get involved with your local community, its all happening there and its real!!

I have lived in Scotland, if that helps. Oh and I enjoy Guiness and have even visited the factory.

[Gardian]

Never tweeted

Never Facebooked

Never been on a cruise (friends, who are prolific 'cruisers' always return moaning about the other bods who they have to endure: say no more!)

Never taken drugs ................ well, unless you count tobacco and er maybe alcohol

Never been grumpy about a thing [;-)]

[powerdesal]

Never tweeted - wouldn't know how ( and don't want to find out )

Never been on a cruise although did return to RSA on the SA Vaal.

Never been into drugs - my attitude to drugs is very left of Genghis Khan.

Don't watch ANY 'reality' type shows, or east enders, or coronation street, I do like Emmerdale though.

Never landed on an aircraft carrier or taken off from one but would really like to.

Never base jumped, or been hang gliding - I prefer wings for the latter.

Never been to Ibiza or any place like it.

I have ridden motor bikes ( up to 1000cc ), parachuted, flown both jet and piston engined aircraft, scuba dived, potholed, camped in mountains and desert, lived in a snow hole whilst cross country skiing, I think that's enough for me.

[idun]

In general I don't mind what other people watch on tv or listen to be it music or just the radio. Because everyone is individual and who the hell am I to look down on anyone or judge them by their likes or dislikes. And getting involved with local communities, well, every french person I know likes their soaps and xfactor'y type things, so there you go... doesn't bother me.

Saying that I rarely drink, have never smoked and illegal drugs, well I'd legalise a lot of stuff along with prostitution and get some taxes in from other people's follies.

What I'd like to do, well operate a big digger, JCB type thing and maybe drive a tank too, whether I ever will now, I don't know, not sure if my bad knees are up to clambering over heavy machines these days.

I have only been on a mini cruise. The first day I swore I would never go on one again, but by the third day, I know I would happily go again. There are some cruise lines I would avoid and I'd have to have a balcony too. If I never go again, it won't be something I regret.  My husband would cruise again, he sails and usually likes his time at sea under sail, but he enjoyed the cruise too.

[Frecossais]

I have never been on a package holiday, watched "Big Brother", read "Fifty Shades of Grey", eaten kidneys or squid. I don't want to do any of them. Is anybody "normal"?[8-)]

[YCCMB]

Of course not...but it's quite fun to find out what things "everybody" is assumed to have done yet haven't. People are so forthcoming about things they have done, but seldom mention things they haven't. It's quite revealing that most of the things we haven't done (at least, from this thread) are things we wear as a badge of pride, and surprising that few of us have really mentioned anything we haven't done and would like to - or regret not having done.

[Catalpa]

[quote user="Lehaut"]...my reply was to indicate the things I don't do that "normal" people do. [/quote]

You also do things that normal people don't - as indicated by your recent posts about your "generous use of poison" to get rid of local cats.

[Lehaut]

You can call me Betty. The very nature of the people who contribute to this forum indicate that they have already done something that the vast majority of "normal" people in the UK have not done, ie moved and live in another country. By that test we have all done something that "normal" people don't do.

Are we now opening the thread to things we would like to do or regret not having done, or perhaps regret that we have done.

To the cat brigade, I have never kept an animal that has had a detrimental effect on other peoples lives, nor that is responsible for "murdering" millions of song birds each year. Cat that are trapped and taken to our local pound are killed after 8 days, an injection, POISON, otherwise they would not die.

"Normal" people would not think twice about killing a bug or poisoning rats/mice.

[YCCMB]

Lehaut....I didn't coin the expression "normal": you did. In fact, I dislike the use of the word in connection with behaviour, personality or matters of personal choice. I didn't set out to denigrate behaviours or lifestyle choices made by others, but it appears that you perhaps have a different agenda.

For the record, I have 3 cats: 2 by choice and one not exactly (OK, also by choice, but when someone turns up on my doorstep with a 5 week old kitten they just found under a bush, I feel somewhat obliged to at least help). None of the 3 have ever killed a bird, although several of my cats, past and present, have done so, along with mice, rats, worms (yes, worms) and all manner of other wildlife: in the same way that I have, by proxy, caused any number of cows, sheep, pigs, fish and fowl to be murdered. Sanitised though it may be, even humans are predatory creatures. I will just have to hope that my carnivorous behaviour will not lead any vegetarians to take the law into their own hands....

[Frecossais]

[quote user="You can call me Betty"]Of course not...but it's quite fun to find out what things "everybody" is assumed to have done yet haven't. People are so forthcoming about things they have done, but seldom mention things they haven't. It's quite revealing that most of the things we haven't done (at least, from this thread) are things we wear as a badge of pride, and surprising that few of us have really mentioned anything we haven't done and would like to - or regret not having done.

[/quote]

I do wonder thinking back, whether the things I haven't done are things I don't want or need to do enough to actually do them. (Sorry for that clumsy sentence.) A few years ago I thought with regret, "I'll never climb Mount Everest now,."  My knees are too arthritic, I have little stamina, I hate the cold. I could have gone at least to the base camp, (my cousin did it,) when I was younger, but I didn't want it enough I suppose.

There are countries in the world I'd like to go to, and to which I could still go despite gammy knees. I might, but I won't be devastated if I don't, because I'll be doing other things.

Bottom line is I'm already doing what I like.

[Patf]

Right, here's mine - I've never used a washing-up machine (or dish washer.) I think I would like to have one now, but haven't got room in our tiny kitchen. And usually only pots for 2 to wash.

Once you've paid for the machine would you save at all on use of hot water ?(compared with washing up in the sink.)

The subject came up on another forum where someone regarded as disastrous the breakdown of their machine.

[YCCMB]

There was a time, Patf, when I thought I might die saying the same thing, but Mr Betty saw the light...and, as he largely does/did the washing up, it was him I needed to convince. Many years on, I'm glad we have one, but if we didn't I would survive (because Mr Betty would still be the KP!). I read an article in a magazine many years ago quantifying the water savings with a dishwasher and it depends on a number of parameters. Apparently, Americans find far less of a saving of water because they rinse everything to within an inch of total cleanliness before ever putting it in a dishwasher..so proving that other habits and processes need to be taken into account to assess whether you're saving water or not, before you ever do the more simple maths of comparing water used to fill sink or dishwasher.

[NormanH]

I have never owned a new car, or one less than 10 years old for that matter. I think many people would find that odd..

The thing I have never done that I regret is never having visited a continent other than Europe, unless Turkey counts as Asia Minor.

[Rabbie]

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