Looking back.
We all do it. Tomorrow will be the Throwback Thursday, after all. Yes. Humans look back at the past. Sure enough we do.
Sometimes we look fondly. Good memories, and glad feelings about people, places, and things.
Other times, we look with disdain. I’ve heard some people say they have absolutely no regrets. I am not one of those people.
I am so dang human. I make mistakes all the time. In my life, I have made some big ones. Colossal even. And with that, comes regret.
Recently, I heard an analogy that works right along with all of this. Here it goes. When a boat moves through the water, it leaves a trail of waves behind. The wake. Every boat has one, if it is traveling across the surface of the water.
But the wake doesn’t power the boat. In fact, it is something that is simply happening as a result of movement.
And that is us, and our lives, and the past. We are the boat. And when we move through life, we leave a trail of events behind us. The wake. The Past. But again, the wake doesn’t drive the boat. In that same way, the past shouldn’t drive our lives.
Sure we can look back and see that it is there. But it is probably a better idea to keep our eyes on what we are doing… the direction in which we are going.
I often wonder if other entities have regrets. Like… dogs, or squirrels… or Captain Kangaroo for that matter. I better get back on track… before I regret it.
I like this boat analogy. But.
There IS something to be said for learning along the way. I think at times we should remember our past transgressions, and missteps. Otherwise, we are sure to repeat them.
A perfectly balance resides in there somewhere. You know, studies have shown that squirrels misplace about 50% of the nuts they bury for the barren winter months. The trick …. for the squirrel…. is in finding the nuts once they’ve buried them.
I think this analogy might work too… for humans… and looking back.
The bottom line is this. Analogies can give you a boatload of knowledge, but they can also make you a little nuts..
I made decisions that I regret, and I took them as learning experiences… I’m human, not perfect, like anybody else.
Has this world been so kind to you that you should leave with regret? There are better things ahead than any we leave behind.
Make the most of your regrets; never smother your sorrow, but tend and cherish it till it comes to have a separate and integral interest. To regret deeply is to live afresh.