The term regret always makes me think about my mother. She insisted that the only song that she had to have at her funeral was My Way. There were wrong choices and problems in her life but she always kept moving forward.
Regrets, I’ve had a few
But then again, too few to mention
I did what I had to do
And saw it through without exemption
I planned each charted course
Each careful step along the byway
And more, much more than this, I did it my way
I do try to not have regrets. Sure, I’ve made some mistakes. In fact, some huge ones that Snake and I have made changed the direction of our lives several times.
The thing is? They were the wrong choices but we had no idea about that at the time. We didn’t throw caution to the wind and go off on a crazy tangent with no thought to the consequences.
Those mistakes would probably be made again with the same knowledge and experience that we had at the time. So maybe the truth is that I don’t necessarily regret the choice but the outcome.
“There are a few things that make me angry. Mostly things not going my way.”
Sebastian Vettel
And isn’t that the worst part? I love making the choices but damn, there are times when I don’t want to have the fallout that comes with those choices. Back up, take the right fork instead of the left and just keep on going.
Playing the what if game is a constant in my head. Maybe things would be different in a better way if I had done this or not done that. But really, in the end, the regret is meaningless because none of it was done with malice or neglect, but sometimes shit happens.
And all of those pieces make us who we are and we pick up the pieces and put them together in the new way and try again. And hope that next time we won’t have the same regrets.
Reading this, not only am I feeling quite seen, but I’m reminded of Robert Frost. There is always the Road Not Taken — and the outcome of taking that of more-traveled road being invisible to oneself. And that unknown outcome HAUNTING oneself.
But then there is Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening — there are always miles to go before one sleeps. There will always be miles to go (or maybe I’m just a pessimist and never truly believe I’m at the destination I should/deserve/ought to be), so ruminating on that road not taken . . . does no good.
Yet here I am, wondering what “today” would be, where those miles to go might lead, had I taken the road more traveled.
I love this. I tend more towards Emily Dickinson in my poetry but the idea of being haunted by the ghost of our possible outcomes is fascinating.
And truly the road should never end while we are here…
First you know I drool when you are in black. Seriously.
I do what ifs. I examine things more than I should. Like you though I regret the outcome. However, as I said in my previous post “The Journey” Even if I 100% know the outcome is not going to be pretty I will often still go for it. To me the beauty in the journey far outweighs the risk of the outcome.
But as I pointed out also in that post give greater weight to that decision if the outcome means someone other tham me gets hurt. Sacrifice myself for the experience, yes. Someone else..not so much.
Im horrible at regretting I didn’t do or say things.
*blush*
So true… I am rarely one to not do something. I love experiences even if the outcome is not what I want.
And I spend plenty of time thinking about what I should have said 🤣🤣🤣
Every decision we make in life teaches us more about ourselves, and leads us further on the road of life. You’ve shared some wise words here.
And the image – stunning!
Rebel xox
That is an awfully beautiful lacey thing you are wearing there!
“But really, in the end, the regret is meaningless because none of it was done with malice or neglect, but sometimes shit happens.
And all of those pieces make us who we are and we pick up the pieces and put them together in the new way and try again.”
Bam. Truth. Try again, with love and kindness.
Thank you 😘