The Ones that Got Away

We had a conversation today at lunch about things we didn't buy when we were sorely tempted, and how the memory of those things lingers years later. In my case there were two items I've always wished I had pursued. The first was a Japanese netsuke cat, beautifully carved in ivory, and curled into a sleeping posture. I saw it in London in about 1969 or 1970, in a shop window. For some reason it screamed out to me. I had just left my two beloved cats behind in Santa Cruz and come to live in Europe, and I was missing them terribly. But we were fairly broke, and the netsuke cat was somewhat expensive, and so I didn't pursue it - but I still think of how it looked in that window, and how it would have been to own it. I've never seen one like it since. Grrrrrrrrrr......The other item was a dress. It must have been around 1968. My parents were having their first holiday party in their fancy new home in Maryland. I had flown in from my hippie life in California to spend some time with my parents. Nothing I had brought with me was good enough to wear to the coming party, according to my mother. She decided it would be a good excuse for the two of us to go to New York on a shopping expedition, and she offered to buy me something suitable to wear. What followed was an excruciating day in some of the big New York department stores, where she tried to get me to look like she wanted me to look (plaid gingham satin gathered long skirt - ick!). Finally I found a dress that I loved. It was a long, pale pink knitted sweater dress, with an A-line skirt to the floor, long sleeves, and a high collar. Knitted into the fabric was an overall pattern of white animals in silhouette. It fit me beautifully and the pink was great with my blonde hair and light complexion. I thought the dress looked terrific on me, and that it would have been great for her party. My Mom saw it differently and flatly refused to let me get it. We had a huge fight over it, and I ended up getting nothing at all. But I've always thought about that dress, how perfect it was, and how sad that I had to leave it there.

Does anybody else have memories of things they didn't pursue in the past that still live with them today?