Everyday Canvas

On Regret and Pings

For "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" 

"Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable." ~ Sydney J. Harris
Discuss this quote in your blog today.

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Truthfully, I am not a proponent of any quote that idolizes regret. Any kind of it. I am of the thinking that says, ‘Proceed boldly, and only look back to learn, and do not waste your physical or mental health over it.’

Unfortunately, regret is a common emotion, and it is the most negative one. It doesn’t help to rewrite history in one’s mind over and over again. It helps to look forward and not be afraid.

Things happen whether we caused them or not or whether we interfered or not. Thus, what if we had done the thing we regret not doing, and the results were to be even worse? We can’t know that, do we?

Plus, sometimes we don’t interfere or do anything about a situation for self-protection. Good enough reason, I say.

An example: A policeman is chasing a criminal and you happen to be in the way and you tackle the criminal while at the same time, the policeman aims at him and shoots you instead and the criminal escapes. Did you realize you got that policeman in major trouble, both emotionally and professionally? You acted, didn’t you, so you wouldn’t feel your precious regret?

In life, whatever is wrong needs fixing, and from our experiences, we learn this. We need to learn this, but we need to learn how to employ the tactics of doing it properly and in a way that our actions help and do not hurt.

For: "Space Blog" 
Prompt: From THANKFUL SONALI Library Class! ]s "Ping" 
“I'm not a person, I'm just a ping in queue.”

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Yessss, to this poem!

I have always applauded the electronic revolution, but not this. I guess this is the dark side of something so addictingly helpful.

Things I used to do easily with one phone call in five minutes, I can’t do now even when I stay by the phone for three hours. Then, there is always the chance that my call can be dropped at any one moment. And yes, any time a computer voice says, “Your call is important to us,” I want to do something so vile that their whole circuit gets broken for good. Unfortunately for me and fortunately for the companies or whoever, I am not a hacker and I don't know enough stuff to pull it through.

I am reacting this strongly because this poem has touched so deeply on my most recent pet peeve. I can’t even get in touch with a doctor’s office to handle something simple about a medication. Ring! ring! A computer. That computer sends me to another one. Then to another one. Then to the nurse’s phone, which says leave a message; we’ll call you back. Although their computer voice takes my request, no one gets in touch with me. We’ve been playing this ring-around-the-rosy several times a week for more than a month now.

Their probable, custom-made excuse: It is Covid-19 era and they are busy. Nice going! I can change doctors you know or I can sue you, but I don’t like doing this because I have never sued anyone. That’s not me. Plus, I like this doctor (best cardiologist in the area) although not the way his office is run.

If this is the sign of things to come, woe is us!