Thursday, July 30, 2009

Though I'm sure you'd remind me, if you had to.

Today? Was a good day. It started out good and the goodness remained.

Today also made me think. A lot. About a lot of different things. Probably, to be honest, a lot of them were things I should try to avoid thinking about.

But because of all my thinking, I have a question.

Do you ever think about what might have been?

I can trace every bit of the last several years of my life back to specific things that happened. Specific moments, actually. Certain people in my life have led me to exactly where I am today. I can name five people in my life right now that have significantly impacted who I am. They probably don't even know it (and maybe I should tell at least some of them).

I guess it's all part of the master plan. I don't even know if I can control any of it...if any of us can really control any of it. None of us can change it either.

So. Why do I think about what might have been?

Isn't it just a huge waste of time?

Just human nature?


Thoughts?

18 comments:

Priscilla said...

Yeah. Human nature. Also huge waste of time. Wool gathering. Its what humans are blessed to be able to do.

I'll bet Ginger doesn't think of these things.

I wish I was one of my dogs.

Anonymous said...

I don't know. I don't tend to dwell on 'what ifs' but my husband does. Maybe it's a personality trait thing... My husband is driven and ambitious and type A and I'm laid back and very much type B.

Little Red Hen said...

I always think these kinds of things in passing, and I try not to dwell on them. I think, “what would have happened if I had met my husband’s brother before I met my husband?” or, “If we hadn’t moved to a different state when I was a child, would I be a completely different person?” and, “How different would my life be now if I had finished my degree when I was younger?”

I do think its human nature to speculate. I also think it’s an individual’s personality that decides if these speculations drive you crazy or not :-)

Patience said...

It's all about the choices we make!

LzyMom said...

i have been thinking a lot about things lately. Granted, I have a 6 week old and i've been examining everything in my life.

it's so funny that we question how we got here instead of accepting that this is the right place to be based on our past choices.

and really, i wouldn't change the past, even the really effed up parts. but i do still wonder what could've been....

i also do that kind of questioning/thinking when i'm down...

i'm all about ellipsis today.

Dawn~a~Bon said...

Oh yes, I think about what might have been all the time. But even the mistakes led me to where I am now, so I can't take them back.

Wondering Woman said...

Lots of things drive me nuts but for some reason I've never thought about 'what might have been' because it's one of the few things my pea brain can wrap itself around as worthless. Why my brain can't see that eating too much, not exercising enough, and cluttering up my house would be just as easy to drop I don't know........ Now I will have to spend time thinking about that.

Anonymous said...

Every second of every hour of every day I think about this. You know why.

Erratic said...

All the time! Recently someone from my past has come back to haunt me, so I have been doing a lot of the "what if's" lately.

I think, though, that everything happens for a reason. I am where I am because I am supposed to be, one way or another.

Anonymous said...

I think about what might have been sometimes but mostly, I think that it IS out of our control, that there is a master plan. I don't have a lot of regrets, even though my life does not always go as I would like. Peace.

Kimberly Vanderhorst said...

It's kind of the boring/obvious answer, but I have to go with human nature too. And it's pretty much amplified by a hundred a more when you're a writer. The active, vivid imagination tends to tread down those old roads more often, I think.

Tricia said...

I do often wonder what could have been. However, most of the time, it is more like thinking how close my life could be to something I don't want it to be. I am glad for the crappy parts of my life (well NOT REALLY) even, because every choice, everything thing I have done has led me to where I am today. Obviously, I would feel differently if I were not so happy with who I am now!

Anonymous said...

I think that a lot of it is just human nature. The whole "the grass is greener" mentality. I often find myself thinking about what might have been. But then, thankfully, I find myself appreciating what IS, and I'm glad that the might have been's did not end up happening! I do believe everything happens for a reason. And more often than not, it is a good reason. :)

SJINCO said...

I think a lot about what might have been - no idea why, I just do. It's how my brain works.

Always thinking...

Anonymous said...

Would'a Could'a Should'a 0do none of us any good.

la aventurista said...

I think probably human nature...it's difficult not to think about the "what ifs" of life, even if what's actually happening now is great. Also, I'm loving the line from "Comfortable" as this post's title...love that song!

Jill said...

We do that and then say, yes, but we wouldn't have XYZ right now if it had happened that way. Basically, it all comes down to for us trading good financial situation and a baby for me having a master's degree and a job. But I am still happy. Besides, that Univ. can suck it. I would have totally rocked and they missed out. And I have a great life. Sometimes, you just have to tell 'what might have been ' 'na na na boo boo, stick your head in doo doo'... and get on with it! You rock and change only in ways you want!

Coal Miner's Granddaughter said...

I always wonder where I might be today if, instead of following my heart and getting married, I got that Ph.D. Where would I be? Would I be happy? Would I have a family? I don't know. I just know that I am happy and I do have a family and I don't have a Ph.D., which doesn't bother me in the least.