I Would, I Will

A friend and I were chatting this week and reminiscing about those magical years when ignorance was bliss and you could act your age without fear of consequence. However some of that liberty gave way to some bad behavior that we both agreed we would have modified given the wisdom and the chance to do so. But then I also got to thinking about how that same liberty also provided the room to take chances and risks that you no longer seem to find time for in your adult years once societal expectations, responsibility and just plain common sense take hold of you.

The conversation with my friend stuck with me for a while; the concept of do-overs and missed opportunities marinating and tenderizing in my brain like a New York Manhattan steak in an aromatic red wine reduction. There was something that was absolutely succulent about the concept, and something that was strangely familiar.

And then it hit me. The conversation was reminiscent of the article that Erma Bombeck wrote when facing her own impending demise: "If I Had My Life to Live Over" http://www.kalimunro.com/If_I_Had_My_Life_To_Live_Over.html

So in honour of Erma's astounding wisdom and perspective, I took the liberty to think about what I might do differently given the chance to do so. When remembering my teenage and young adult years, I hold them particularly precious as the best of times, but still somehow I just didn't appreciate them fully enough, because I didn't have the layers of perspective that only comes with age to help to heighten your sense of how good things were. And to add insult to injury, even once you have acquired all that wisdom and you're a full grown, responsibility-riddled adult, you still find that you forget to find the right time or excuse to do those things that could only serve to make life richer.

Given the chance, and with an allowance for a tongue-in-cheek reference back to several of my past blogs, I think my list would go something like this, with full apologies to Erma Bombeck for they pale in comparison to the flame that she lit:

• I would have behaved like a child and enjoyed childhood longer instead of racing to the future. Nobody told me about the bills I'd have to pay.


• I would have done my homework and assignments before the deadline passed. There was always something else I wanted to do more once I was in crunch mode.


• I would have worn sunscreen. My "smile" lines may not be quite so indicative of my lifetime of laughter.


• I would have stuck with my music lessons. How else better to torture my neighbours?


• I would have taken dance lessons, so I would have tortured my friends less.


• I would have treated many relationships with a great deal more care and recognized how precious and instrumental each one has been in shaping who I've become. Even the freakazoids can help you to better define what it is you're looking for (or what to especially avoid).


• I would have nurtured romantic dreams less and worked harder towards obtaining real and tangible goals, like diamonds and real estate!
  


• I would have learned earlier on to trust my instincts, that way, I may have kissed more Princes and fewer frogs, and have become a best-selling novelist rather than just another schlep on the street.


• I will buy myself more flowers, and take time to smell the fressia. Carnations be damned.


• I will be better at staying in touch with my friends when I move; they come in handy each time it happens.


• I will manage my money a whole lot better, as must pay those damn bills that no one mentioned when I was a child.
  


• I will take more chances and actively pursue adventures starting with sky diving. And if I live after that, then I may even try swimming with the sharks too. Can't be as tough as swimming with the ones that I have on Bay Street.
  


• I will travel more, and extensively. How else will I live the dream of a Prince in every port?


• I will be a whole lot more gregarious and risk people paying attention. How else will Matthew McConaughey ever find me?
  


• I wear a lot more red and a lot more skirts. Both very useful when Matthew McConaughey finally finds me.


• I will NO LONGER save that fine wine for a special occasion, but instead make an occasion special because of the fine wine.
  
  
• I will ALWAYS make time for cheesecake....because it makes life taste sooo sweet.
  


• But most of all, I will play more, laugh more, hug more, kiss more and love more. And not just with Matthew McConaughey. :)
  

So how about you? What's going to make your list of do-overs or new resolutions for a life filled with laughs and rich memories? I'd love to make a special occasion of reading your thoughts while I enjoy them with a fine glass of wine.

Cheers,
Liz