I’m sure everyone, whether new to the hobby or more experienced has some painfully embarrassing memories of when they first dipped their toes into this world. I know there are a million different bullet point guides for what to do and not to do as a noobie. However, I am hoping to start a discussion of not just the mistakes themselves, but the feelings and thought process that drove you to act the way you did and the consequences of said actions.  

I have read the rules and know that reviews are not allowed in this part of the forum. So, I wrote a fictional story about a guy named John who made mistake after mistake all throughout his first experience in the Hobby.  I hope that by getting into Johns mind, it will trigger intense feelings, memories and regrets of your beginning times as a hobbyist.  

Maybe I am just weird, but the psychological factors that drive the Hobby absolutely fascinate me! The story should take about 10 minutes to read, and I posted it to an anonymous PasteBin page so you guys can all get a chance to read it. I would really appreciate some novice and advanced hobbyists alike to take a look at Johns tale and give some advice and feedback.

If you are in a hurry/don't care enough about John to hear what a fool he was, then please add to the discussion by reminiscing about mistakes you made in your early days.