I look back at my life, though it is only 20 years, and I see so many missed opportunities that would have changed my life drastically. I look back and see missed chances to change what I am passionate about: golf. Would golf have been my passion if I started earlier? I could’ve been the best golfer Albia, Iowa (population of negative one ever since I left) had ever seen.

I write about this now, because I have recently been hooked on watching spoken word videos. I am actually frantically writing this trying to meet my deadline, because I have been watching spoken word videos non-stop for a couple of days.

What if I had chosen to focus on poetry during my elementary years? Could I have been on one of the videos I am watching right now? How could my life have been different? What if I had chosen to go to college in a different state? Would I still be the same person I am today? I always ask these questions, because I am afraid of my future. So I look back on my past and how I could have done better to make my future less scary. 

 Many people may tell you that you shouldn’t look at your past and imagine how your life could have been different, because there is no use in doing so. I disagree with this view. I think that it is important to reflect on your life and look at the opportunities that you missed. This will help you make decisions for the rest of your life. 

It is like why we study history in schools. It is to make us learn from the past so we know what worked and didn’t work. It is importnt to look back at your own life as well, to see what worked and what didn’t. It is difficult to tell whether or not your decision was smart, because you don’t know how your other choices might have turned out. 

We all have missed opportunities, but we also have opportunities that we took, and now we are reaping the benefits. Like choosing a great college to go to, or joining an organization where we made great friends. Sometimes I wish I would have taken advantage of more opportunities, but then I remember that I am living a pretty good life as it is. 

If you look over this without reading it you will notice that there are a lot of “I’s.” What I want to know is what your missed opportunity is? How could our life be different if you took those oportunites? E-mail me at my [email protected]. I want to hear from you!