Regrets and the roads less traveled

It seems like as I get older that my mind tends to wonder more towards the regrets that I have in my life. You know things that you “should have” done or said, but didn’t? Well recently I went on a trip to Vegas and we flew out there. Well flying is not my favorite thing to do…in fact there is a requirement of a Valium or something of that nature to make me feel more comfortable about putting my life in the hands of a complete stranger behind the wheel of a mode of transportation that weighs more than my house and hovers in the air. I get myself in this panic mode thinking of crashing and then all of a sudden I become overwhelmed with all the things that I wish I had done in life.

Regrets can come in all sizes, shapes and forms. It can be about things that you wish you had the courage to try when the opportunity was there; it can be in the form of things that you should have said when you had the chance; or it can be about different paths that you wish that you had taken. I think that two of the most powerful words combined are “What if?” Those two words can send your mind into an out of control tailspin of thoughts - both good and bad.

There are those that will argue pre-destination and are convinced that everything happens according to a greater plan. While I am more pro than I am con about that theory I am up in the air about that to a certain degree. While I am fully convinced that everything happens for a reason; I am also convinced that we are given free will to chart our own course and end up where we do as a result of those choices. Therefore regret comes into the picture. While I have no regrets for “most” of the things that I have done, because some of those choices provided me with [what I believe] are 3 of the most beautiful children and grandchild ever created. The philosophies of regret falls more under the categories of things I didn’t do and perhaps should have.

I wish that it didn’t take the impending thoughts of a plane crash or something of that nature to inspire me to think about the regrets that I have. While it isn’t healthy I’m sure to dwell on what should have been done differently, it should make you think before you make choices in the future.   

Perhaps in the grand scheme of things all roads lead to one destination and are paved with uncertainty as well; and maybe the only difference would have been the scenery along the way. When I do reach my final destination at the end of whatever road it is that I end up on I just don’t want to look back over my shoulder and look back at the paths that were less traveled and wonder if maybe I should have taken a left instead of a right.