Have you ever read a book in which you can turn to different pages that will continue the book in different ways, leading to different endings? I have.
Have you ever wondered if you would be a different person if you had gone to a different school, camp, or seminary? I have.
My younger sister is applying to seminary this week. Since I went to seminary a few years ago, there have been numerous seminaries that opened up. Would my life be different if these seminaries had been open when I went?
Have you ever looked at a black-and-white picture and tried to imagine it in color?
Have you ever looked at a thick book and wondered what the pages inside will reveal to you?
Life is so complex. It is a kaleidoscope of colors. There's really no use in imagining our past different than it was. We should take what we have and grow from it.
But sometimes, when the going gets tough, I wonder, "what if..."
(As my father always says, "What if your nose was upside down? Then when it would rain, it would rain in.")
14 years ago
4 comments:
One "what if" I can identify with is if I had gone to a different seminary, would I be different...it's one of those things that I'm sorry I made the mistake of going to the one that I did go to, but I realize that that too was part of a plan. Any other thing in life that has happened to me, although many times I regret things and wish I could turn back the clock, I wouldn't want to trade the experience and the lesson it taught me for anything in the world. Yes, life is hard, very hard, sometimes but I know it's molding me into the person I want to become...and so, I try not to ask questions (not an easy task, let me tell you).
What if my bubba was a zeida?
Then she would daven before the amud!
But seriously, sometimes you see it, sometimes you don't, but either way it really is always best. There are plenty of decisions that I was forced into and now I am thrilled about them.
I definitely agree with both of you. Looking back at my life, (do I sound really old?) I definitely see how I grew from the things I went through and the schools/seminary I ended up going to. Hopefully, my next major decision will be the guy who I marry, and I will be able to see how good that decision will be.
Check out my post I like me (Ergo).
http://sporadicintelligence.wordpress.com/2008/12/05/i-like-me-ergo/
It's along the same lines as halfshared.
You should also read the first paragraph of "The Stamp Collection".The author gives and interesting metaphor on the subject.
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