When I look back, and I’ve been doing a lot of that lately because of the crapper the most important economy in the world is in (namely, mine), I eventually drift to the most painful of recollections: moments lost. You know, those instants in time where, upon reflection, you realize that some sort of brass ring was within reach, but because of fear, inertia, ennui, karma, or a myriad other reasons, you fail to discern the opportunity and grab it.
The fact that these are a universal misery makes them no less painful, and in the fullness of time, while you may reconcile with them, they will retain their scabbard-edged query: what if?
What if I asked her to the dance?
What if I wrote that letter?
What if I took that trip?
Of course, what-ifs come in the negative variety as well: an unnecessary drive around the block causes a nasty accident, an impulsive investment leads to financial devastation. While the cause of great psychic trauma, “what-if-I-didn’ts” aren’t the same as moments lost, mainly because, most of the time, the result of the what-if is known: I would’ve gone on about my life as it was if the bad thing didn’t happen. For me, these things are far easier to reconcile to fate, destiny, or a gamble that failed.
Take, for example, my movie. I made it, I invested in it, and I didn’t get rich. Just the opposite. Do I regret it? Well, I regret things about it, but as a whole, not at all.
No, moments lost is the seed that grows its own little hell called “What Might’ve Been.”
Left unchecked, WMB can lead to a crippling dissatisfaction with many parts of one’s life, and unlike other what-ifs, actually gets worse over time. (It occurs to me that WMB is probably the cause of 75% of second marriages, and 90% of all Corvette purchases by men over 40.)
Is there a cure? Not directly. Moments lost are just that: lost. But realizing that far more regrets come from things not attempted than those attempts that fail is a great start to avoiding WMB. Jim Carrey (who is reasonably successful), said on Larry King last night that everything that happens to you should be thought of as “the best thing in the world,” although that’s easier to say when you’re a movie star, worth a few hundred mil, and sleep with Jenny McCarthy. But the thought has merit. Or perhaps you can take the “High Fidelity” movie’s direct-WMB approach, where John Cusak contacted all his old girlfriends to find out what went wrong. (I personally had this opportunity in a lesser context, and actually found that it made my WMB worse.)
Or failing all that, commiserate. Talk to your friends. They’ve been there, I assure you.
And with any luck, their stories will be more pathetic than yours.
Have a happy and safe holiday.
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