"Regrets" by Andre M

     From now until the moment I die, I will have regrets. I will look back on my life at my
dying moment and know that my life could have possibly been better. No matter how hard I try,
those past decisions cannot be changed. Nothing will change my decisions of the past. Nothing
I do now will change how I've lived my life. Nothing can change how I’ve become a stranger to
my once friends or how my timid behavior has limited me from experiences. As somber as all
that sounded, regret can also be a positive and beautiful thing. The regrets I have push me to
be a more outgoing person which I regard as an accomplishment considering what a sheltered
odd kid I was.
     Regret is to be disappointed about a past decision. I sadly have many regrets throughout
my 17 years of life. They range from regretting not picking up a nickel from the street to not
telling her my feelings because of fear. All these regrets are now part of me. They have made
me what I am today. I have my bad choices to thank for making me the person I have become.
We all face constant growth in character as humans everyday. I like to think we all are
becoming better people with every day we conquer. In spite of this idea, the growth as humans
that is caused by regret can only occur with its acceptance. As stubborn as some of us are, we
have to be able to welcome the sadness and embarrassment that comes with regret. No matter
how proud of a person you are, you cannot be allowed to make the same mistakes in life.
Regret is often accompanied by shame. This shame we feel is not a bad thing but
instead necessary to the process of individual growth as humans. We feel shame for not making
the right decision, for being wrong. But you cannot expect perfection from an imperfect people.
We eventually realize that any regret is an opportunity to become better and more perfect.
A real example of the power of regret can be seen by the average high school student
and their desire for acceptance. High School is where everyone wants to be praised as cool and
seeks the acceptance of their peers. Some kids change their whole identities to fit into what they
believe is cool. As time passes they realize there is no need to change who you are to be
accepted. The regret they feel leads them to not let their mistake to be repeated again.
All this leads to the goal of living a life without regrets. To live the perfect life. To do
everything we want and enjoy the the life were given. This is the goal of many but achieved by
none. No one will ever be able to live a life without regret because we are imperfect people that
are inclined to make wrong choices that we will eventually regret. But nothing can stop us from
trying.