We make decisions on a daily basis, sometimes without us realising it ... Like taking a short cut to work to avoid that congestion ... And you know what, some times the short cut leads to an even greater congestion ... Does that mean it was a bad decision? It is a decision, for better or for worse ...
Lately, I have been wondering about the choices that I have made ... And I find myself feeling regret ... I made wishes such as wanting to turn back time just so I can take a different path ... I'm pretty sure that I am not the only person on this earth who has these fantasies ...
Yes, of course there are choices that take you down the path of destruction, like doing drugs or stealing shit ... As a person who hasn't done drugs or went on a bank robbery, I can honestly say that I don't know what goes through the head of person that does those things ... Perhaps circumstances push them into doing it ... One never knows ...
But I do believe that even a person who finds him/herself in a situation like that would somehow find him/herself going down the path of redemption ... It really depends on whether he/she wants to make something of him/herself ... Whether he/she wants to change ... And this is where the choices or the decisions we make come into play ...
Things happen, shit or no shit ... These things shape the course of our lives ... And we make choices and decisions on how we want to deal with all these things that happen to us ... That, plus the fact that human beings are complicated ... Even a person who seemingly leads a simple life is complicated ...
I don't think there are good or bad choices ... Choices are what we make of them ... We are because of the choices that we make ... And wouldn't you agree that, for better or for worse, you are a better person than you are for having made those choices? ... It all depends on you ... Do you feel good about yourself than you did twenty years ago? (I'm asking people who's lived at least forty years ... Millennials who read this blog can ponder about this question twenty years from now) ...
Of course, I am simplifying matters ... Some choices may only take a heartbeat to make, others not so easily or in such a short time ... And I mention that people are complicated; I should also mention that the circumstances surrounding a decision are equally so ...
And sorry I could not travel both
Even in the second line, Robert Frost says he is sorry ... What is he sorry for? That he would miss out on something if he takes one path or the other? I am not going to dissect this fine literary piece, because I know shit, but if I didn't know better, I think there is a sense of regret and yearning underlying the poem ... At least Frost seemed to be honest about it ... How about us? Can we sincerely say that we never wished we had not make that one decision which turned out to be a "poor" one? ...
I suppose I need to illustrate my point ... Since for some reason, perhaps because I have this weird hang-up shit with Leonardo DiCaprio, I watched Titanic a couple of times recently, and thus I would choose an example of a sinking ship ...
So, a huge ship is sinking, but there are only two lifeboats ... Person P is in charge of one, and Person Q is in charge of the other ... Person P is the type that vacillates; uncertain what to do; definitely not a leader ... Person Q is the total opposite: very decisive; very sure of himself, perhaps a little too much; and a natural-born leader ... Now, this ship is sinking fast, so fast you have no time to yell "I'm the king of the world" ... The two boats are already on the water, and P and Q are at the stern, oars in their hands ... P says out loud, "I'm not too sure the boat can take on too many people, but do remember to wear your life vests. I'm not such a good rower, or a swimmer. I hope we can get to shore safely, but I don't know. The sea does look a little too choppy." Q says out in a louder voice, "All of you, get on this boat! I know how to row and swim. That pathetic excuse for a human being can't save you. I'm not even sure why he is even in charge of a boat. No need to put on life vests. I can get us to shore even before you can say Jack Robinson."
Now, which boat would you take? ... I've given you two options, but if you watch the movie, you know that some people actually jump into the water, right? Now, that's actually a third option ... In an ideal situation, if the water was not cold and land could be seen, they might actually save their lives ... Life and death situations like this seem clear cut, but how people respond to a situation is as complicated as how their mind works ...
Okay, so my example is not a good one ... I'm just trying to say that because the future is uncertain, we are not exactly the master of our destiny ... Yeah, sure, we'd like to think that we have control over the direction of where we want to be, and we make decisions based on that aim ... But, really, did Donald Trump think he was going to be president one day? Maybe he did, maybe he did not, most likely he did, but he's not doing a good job of it ... Now, who decided that Donald Trump be elected president? Are you saying those people did not know what they were getting into? Above all, did they make a bad decision? ...
Personally, I would not trust a person who says that he/she has made all the right choices, the one who doesn't have any feelings of regret or yearning, the one who thinks he/she is the master of his/her destiny ... A person like that has something to hide, imo, and I can't trust people who hide things ... No, most probably I would not go with Person P, but in a different circumstance, I may make friends with him ... We losers tend to stick together anyway ...
To round up things, it just boils down to you really ... Be honest with yourself ... You don't have to look back (sometimes I think it's not really doing myself good if I look back too much), but just think of the present situation ... Would you have done things differently? ... Just think about it ...
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