If you could back would you? I think everyone has thought about doing something differently. What’s the most recent thing you wish you’d done differently? Maybe you wish you applied yourself more in school, asked someone out, spent more time with someone, said just one more thing to that person. As we get older it’s common advice that we shouldn’t dwell on the past. I think this is entirely true. I think twenty twenty hindsight is convenient. There are never going to be situations where you truly know everything. There are always going to be situations where there was a “better” choice. There are always going to be situations where there was a “worse” choice. Every single decision you’ve made was one in a million. Don’t you believe there was something special about your decision?
Let’s take a look at The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily Danforth. If you were Cameron what would you do differently? What do you think is Cameron’s biggest regret? I don’t think Cameron should do anything differently. It’s her decisions that created the beautiful story we read. Cameron tells her parents she’s lesbian before they die. Does Cameron go to Promise? Do her parents die? Does she meet Coley? Cameron doesn’t kiss Irene. Does she still feel guilty about her parents death? Cameron doesn’t makeout with Coley that night. Does she ever meet Jane or Adam? Ruth decides not to move in with Cameron and Grandma Post. Does Cameron go to Promise? Through all the what-ifs I found that I wouldn’t want Cameron’s story to be any different (DANFORTH). But books and movies are usually made up stories that would never happen right? I think all of us are writing our own story. I think we should appreciate our story and cherish it. We should also realize that the only way we can change our story is by changing what we do right now. We can’t go back and rewrite a part of our life we don’t like.
I watched an anime called ReLife written by Yayoiso and produced by TMS Entertainment. There’s a NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) named Kaizaki Arata. Kaizaki participates in an experiment where he takes a pill that makes him look like a high school student. The purpose of the experiment is for Kaizaki to do things differently and live a “successful ReLife”. If the experiment is successful then Kaizaki will be offered a plethora of jobs. Kaizaki’s experiences over that year prove to help him grow as a person and land him a job. Kaizaki isn’t going back in time, I think his situation is similar to what I described earlier. Kaizaki realizes he needs to “write” his own story when he gets this opportunity. Would you participate in this experiment if you were a NEET (Yayoiso)? Honestly, I can’t say what I’d do until I was in that situation. Experiencing High school could be a really valuable experience. On the other hand I could spend a year doing something that might help me more.
I think we should begin to change the way we view the present if we want to change the way we view the past. If we can appreciate that the sun rose, we woke up, and someone we love is alive then isn’t that enough? We can be grateful for the past because it has given us this moment. Above all, what’s most important in our experience in life? It’s being alive. What does it matter if we made mistakes in the past? That past has led to the moment where you’re reading this which means you are definitely alive. As long as we’re alive we have the ability to control what we’ll do and the inability to change what has already happened. I don’t think we should worry too much about learning from our mistakes. I feel like we naturally learn and grow from our experiences. You don’t remember every moment in your life, but every moment has taught you something.
All in all, I don’t think we should disregard the past, but I don’t think we should focus too much on trying to change it or wanting to change it. The more caught up we are on what we did and what we could’ve done the less we focus on what we’re doing and what we’re going to do. How would your life be different if you forgot the previous day every day you woke up? Do you think having regrets is good or bad?
James Chupalio
https://4anime.to/relife-episode-1?id=8522
This is the first episode of ReLife if you’re interested (it’s pretty good)
Sources:
DANFORTH, EMILY M. MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST. BALZER + BRAY, 2018.
Yayoiso, director. ReLife. Funimation.com, 2016, http://www.funimation.com/shows/relife/.
Representing Adolescence @ Pitt 