Monday, May 6, 2019

Only in the movies can you break the time travel rule.


Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay

People often write letters to their younger selves, in a kind of “if I knew then what I know now,” moment. The desire to go back and change things is strong, and for some, creates unhappiness and regret that overshadows whatever goodness and happiness they have today.

I have done things I regret, and also lived through a large share of trauma and drama. I’ve spent my time in “if only” daydreams, thinking about all the “could-a, would-a, should-a” moments. But, as is often reinforced in many, many, sci fi movies, time travel to change things can cause unintended consequences. Even The Avengers would agree with me. Only in the movies can you break the time travel rule.

I realize that if I could wish away certain decisions and events, many things in my life today would be different. I might have more money, I might have pursued an entirely different career path – my life would probably look vastly different than it does today. And most likely, if I had children, they would not be the ones I would give my life for today, I would not have the “love of my life” relationship I have today – in fact, most likely everyone I know and everything I am familiar with would be gone. In the snap of my own fingers.

Yes, maybe other children, other loves, other living conditions. Maybe more “happiness” and “success,” maybe not. But that uncertain roll of the dice isn’t even the real reason I gave up the time travel daydreams years ago.

When I look into the eyes of my children, my grandchildren, the love of my life and all my relative and friends — even with all their flaws and drama—I could never take the chance of losing them. So that means I must accept my own flaws and drama as well as the good, bad, and ugly things I have lived through.

I’ll save time travel for “going down memory lane”— which seems to be a neighborhood I’m visiting a little more frequently as I get older. And I’ll leave the rest to the comic book superheroes.

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