Can We Learn From Our Past

As we get older, we sometimes feel if we could go back in our past with what we know now, would we have changed things? How would a person fix, change or make things better now by going back to the past? Billy was asked this very question one day at work by his co-worker John. Billy thought about the question all day. He went home that afternoon and started looking around at his home, his wife, and children. He started to think about his job and life overall. He wondered if he had done things a little different in the past, would he have the things he has now and how would they be different. Billy now in his 50’s had never thought about his past affecting his future. He lived day to day, only adjusting as the times changed. The next day, Billy asked his co-worker had he thought much about the question from yesterday. John answered, “Man, I would have played sports and paid more attention in school. I would have waited on getting married and having children. I would have been someone that everyone would respect. Instead of being the worker, I would be the boss”. Billy thought about John's answer and it appeared that John wasn't happy with the way his life had turned out. John finished with, "Well, put it this way Billy, life could be a lot better and I could have made better choices, but you can't change it, so I guess I will accept it and keep going on”. John returned to work and Billy thought to himself “now if I hadn't gone to the school I attended, I would have never met my wife and had the children I have now. There also wouldn’t be any grandchildren to enjoy”. He realized he was happy overall with his job and life style. If he could change any thing it would have been that he would have spent more time enjoying his children and wife and would not have become so upset over the little things that had happened. They always seem to work themselves out anyway. He knew he couldn't change the past, but he could make the future better by the choices he makes today. Maybe 20 years down the road he could look back in the past and know he made good choices. Maybe he will see that he was the best Husband, Dad, and Granddad that he could have been.  If you have thought about this like Billy has, remember it isn't too late to make changes. Just always be thankful for what you have because there are others worse off than you. We can't change the past, but we can make the future brighter by the choices we make today...