I heard from a young friend (if I called her an old friend she would be pissed) who reminded me how long we have known each other. When we first met her daughter was just a kid (maybe in middle school). She didn't like boys (boys are annoying when you are that age) and gymnastics was the most important thing in her life. I don't think my oldest was even born yet.
I blinked my eyes and 25 years went by. Like Michael Newman, the character played by Adam Sandler in the movie "Click", it seems like my life has been in fast forward. The only difference is I have no "magic remote" to go back and review the important events in my life. The other difference is that I am quite sure Morty, played by Christopher Walken, is not going to give me a second chance.
If I had the chance to go back, I wouldn't. While life is a fantastic adventure, it can be very hard. There are things in my life I would not want to go through again. Certainly there are some things I would love to do again, but all I have to do is close my eyes and those experiences come back to me in vivid detail.
I have very few regrets in my life, to be sure I have a few. Anyone who says they have no regrets is either a liar or a sociopath. I wish I had a few "mulligans" (that's a golfing term, a "do over" for all you non golfers). The things I regret were mistakes I made that had bad consequences for other people. For the most part, I wouldn't change a thing. The things I did made me the person I am and gave me things I have.
Sometimes when I think "I wish I had gone away to college instead of commuting" I realize that an action like that would probably have spun my life into an entirely different direction. Maybe better, maybe worse, but I doubt I would have the same wife, kids and friends that I do now, so the most important things in my life would be changed. Rent the movie "Mr. Destiny" with Jim Belushi (it's like "Click" but no remote, a better plot, and better acting) it is a great "message movie".
Back to my young friend, she reminded me her daughter has not lived at home "full time" for 11 years. It seems like yesterday we had lunch at Charlies Crab in the Northfield Hilton (one of those great memories I can re-live). I will blink my eyes again and my oldest daughter will be 11 years gone from my home, and my youngest will be 8 years gone!
A great reminder that I need to enjoy every moment of my life, because time flies period! Today you may be single and carefree, it will seem like tomorrow and 25 years will pass. Enjoy everything. Hold no grudges, they are excess baggage that hurt you more than the person you are holding the grudge against. Try everything. When you get to be older you don't want to say "I wish I had tried this". Don't let your friends "drift away". Before you know it, you will have not seen them for 8 years (or more). If you are unhappy with the direction of your life, change it. Don't say "I wish I had...". If there is something you wish you had done, do it now. It's never too late to start something new.
At least that is the way it has been for me, and since these are all just my opinions, you can take them or leave them.
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