I am really not sure. I am adopted and I ponder this often. What if my birth mother kept me? I know I have qualities from her, but I know I am very similar to my adoptive parents. Nurture vs. Nature plagues me every day of my life.

The way my life has played out I can be defensive, scathing, hostile and pretty much anything to keep people away from me, outside my suit of armour. . I grew up in a time when homosexuality was *cured*, and the cures terrified me. . If I had gained the courage to be myself when I grew up I would have different fears, different longings. I could have turned out the same, but I doubt it.

Since I have been a adult I have been someone's mother and wife. I sometimes wonder where I would be today if I had waited a while to settle down. The more I think about it though, I am right were I want to be.

No, I don't think so. I would probably be a totally different kind of person. :-)

No I think I would have been a more easy going happier person. That being said I would probably still have the same nature just a different personality facade.

I'm sure I would be a different person. At one time, I seriously considered a career as a ballet dancer & wanted to move to New York to pursue that career. Scared and financially insecure, I chose to stay nearer home, gave up ballet except as a spectator, and got married and had a child. I have mostly worked all of my adult life in some form of office management, quite different than the razzle-dazzle life I had envisioned for myself as a teenager. Great question, by the way!

same person just in a different situation. I remember being in 4th grade feeling the same inside as I do now...I literally remember. (it was right outside of my class room and I recognized who Sara was inside)

I know for a fact that certain important events in my life made me ME. If those hadn't happened, everything about me would be different. If, for instance, I'd never gotten married, I would have stayed in school long enough to obtain a degree and would have never moved to the south. If I had stayed with my father when I ran away rather than returning to work things out with my mother, there's no telling what could have happened. I think that life throws you certain lines and you get to choose your path. Each path leads you to a different outcome and version of yourself, if that makes ANY sense.

Probably not. Events happen in life that can change the way we see it and other people. We're a product of our experiences.

I'm not sure, but if things played out the way I imagined they would when I was a kid, the person I am now probably wouldn't like that version of me very much. I'd probably have more money, though.

Obviously not, since we are the sum of our experiences.

Maybe, it's hard to say. There are many factors that contributed to who I am right now, but I'm not sure my thought process would be any different. Probably so.

I am pretty sure that I would be a different person, because my parents put us through a very bitter divorce when I was about ten. Also this in turn caused a huge change in my life, change in location of home and school and friends! I basically have 'worked' my whole life since then, just trying I feel to get back or to become the person, that I was originally intended to be. I hope that you understand what I am saying. i.e. before the whole divorce blow up, I was confident, much more a leader, more out going and happy, etc. Today, I am still consciously trying to be more like a grown up version of that 'me'.

No. Who we ARE, is a matter of experience, memory, and just the way we were made. And it could depend on your definition of yourself. If you changed some things.. you would still have your name, most likely the way you look, your job? But do those define who you ARE? Who ARE YOU? Think about it. Id love to hear the answer. But if life had played out differently, most likely the changes would be in the big things that have happened to you. And those are definetly a part of who you are.. If you do, in fact, let it define you. You have the choice of how much things effect you. Use it to your advantage.

I'd be different in some ways, the same in others. I think that if I hadn't had children I'd have become more selfish; I'd have been considerably richer; I'd have gone farther, sooner, in my career; and I'd have missed one of the great, and most challenging, experiences of my life. Note: I am NOT implying anything about people who don't have children - only about myself. Having my two sons added positive and negative stuff into life's equation that made me grow a great deal.

Yes, it would have to be different, I made different choices, it couldnt possibly have the same consequences.

No absolutely not. If I hadn't had losses, I might not be as grateful for what I have

I might not even be alive.

no i wouldn't. I am the way I am thanks to my parents, the schools i went to, all my friends, and all the love that I was lucky to recieve. had it been another way, i would not be here, and i would not be the same person. Nature vs. Nurture? I choose nurture.

No I am sure I would not be the same person I am today. It is nice to dream about the "what if's" but in the end I would not want to change anything. I have everything I want. My 3 kids and my husband. I am happy, it just took alot of hard times to get here.

It probably would have been a litle bit worse, if I wouldn't have paid my debts.

Nope.

Of course... I might have been more confident through HS... Might have had a girlfriend then who I may have married... Might have had kids earlier... Might NOT have had kids at all... Might have gotten a different job and moved up in the company... Might have moved out of state... Might have been more atheletic... Might not have written a bunch of songs... Might not have met a lot of the people I've met in my life... Might not have... EVERYTHING that happens to you makes you what you are, good and bad. I've been very lucky to at 53, have my parents, my father's brothers, and one of their wives STILL in my life. I knew my grandparents, and had great ones, including a great step-grandfather. (My grandmother died a year ago the 21st at 91yo.) I still get along with my siblings. I have wonderful nieces and nephews, cousins and their spouses, I've had some great jobs, made some mistakes, made a lot of RIGHT moves, have a couple of decent kids, an ex that's still a friend, a great 2nd wife, a couple of great step-daughters and a decent step-son, and an under 2yo step-grand-daughter.... I can manage my house and utility payments (it's CLOSE, but...)... I have a few problems, but I've been blessed (by my father) with Positive Mental Attitude (PMA), so doen't get depressed for any real length of time... If ANY of the above MIGHTS had happened, could I say ANY of this? ;-)

no. i probably wouldn't have realized the things i have if i didn't go through it. i think you are you because of what you have experienced and dealt with in your life.

I am the sum of my experiences. If my life had played out differently I would have had different experiences and be a slightly different person. I regret nothing because I have learned from my experiences and tried not to make the same mistakes twice. If I had my time again, knowing what I know now, I would have done many, many things differently but I don't believe I would be the same person.

Just so long as the different me experienced far less sibling abuse and I did not get diabetes at age 6, no way would I be the same.

My "Destiny" would have been the same.