League of BOB Challenge #2: Regrets

I think part of human guilt is that you end up regretting things. I know that I do it all the time--whether or not it's warranted. Regrets are closely tied to guilt (obviously), which lets you know that you've done--or at least think you have done--something wrong.

And I think regrets are actually good for something. Sometimes. If you heed them. And you manage to pick out the right ones to learn from.

But at the same time DWELLING on things you regret  for too long is detrimental. And can make you live in the past--one of the most unhealthy things to do to a body.

And, I'll be honest, I don't really regret too many things in my life. All my regrets are pretty menial, and along the lines of "Oh, I wish I hadn't said X to person Y at this party" or "Man I wish I had studied more for that darn test", things you get over pretty quickly.

Probably the only regrets of any "weight" have to do with relationships--and those are pretty insignificant too. But they illustrate for me how I shouldn't dwell in the past; because sometimes I'll just play scenes over and over in my head--what could have happened, what I should have said, if I was able to feel emotions deeper (a problem of mine) or at least express the ones I have better what would he have felt, would everything have been different? Or sometimes more along the lines of--I should have read this warning sign, this was obviously foreshadowing of future behavior--either way, it's the same thing.

Because those chapters of my life are over. There is no re-writing pages in your biography, they're already there. So let those experiences shape you in to the character you are now and who you'll become--because a story about a static character is none too interesting.

And since I've lived the perfect life (really), I feel sort of stupid writing about this. Because I've met and am close to people who have deep seated regrets that are more legitimate than mine--people who have watched people die, people who've gotten over drug addictions, people who solely blame themselves for the death of another person, among other things--I feel frivolous just spurtting off my nonsense. Because it would be hard to just forget those things and NOT dwell in the past.

So take it as you will.