What If's

For most of my adult life I thought "what if's" were a waste of time.  I think part of that thought process was because of the old saying "no regrets" and how society seems to think the two are very similar.  Then I had a profound thought recently.  I came to the conclusion that a "what if" and a "regret" are two very different things.  Let me explain..

I was pondering some "what if's" (what if I hadn't of moved to Sydney?  What if I had of pursued becoming a lawyer?  What if my mother didn't have Parkinsons Disease?  What if I had of married my first true love?  Note; I was 16, so this isn't one I dwell on, simply an example of a perfectly healthy "what if"?  What if I had of had children?).  You get the picture. 

I suddenly realised "what ifs" give you the latitude to write your own ending, time and time again, depending on how you are feeling at that time.  It allows you to escape for a moment or two, and allows you to envisage life from another view point (bit Sliding Doorish really - love that movie!).

So from here on in I shall no longer feel guilty when I think about my "what if's".  I shall embrace them, allow myself to day dream about them (today it includes a tropical island, lazing under a plam tree, cool drink in hand, allowing the sun and warm breeze to wash over me) and celebrate my imagination.