Off the Mark by Mark Parisi for April 17, 2020

Like the girl who, at out 20th reunion, told me she had a crush on me in HS.

Or the opening at my dream job that was being held for ME, but I figured I had no shot at…

More like things I wish I did like kick a kid’s butt who pushed me

Replay my school years and tell all the bullies who teased me about my thick glasses and hand me down clothes to F**K OFF!!!

Not interested. Don’t want to take the time or trouble to live it again.

I would only do that with the benefit of hindsight being allowed (and a hard drive with a copy of all the things I that will help me accomplish that)

Level II: DO all the things you wish you had.

I would pay a whole lot of money for that game!

Not possible. Make one significant change, and the rest of your life would be so different that none of the other regretted events would happen. Then you’d continue to make mistakes, only they’d be completely different.

and un-say all the things you wish you hadn’t…

Be thankful for what you have and not for what you don’t have…

Correct all the mistakes that hurt people

I would not change a thing. Scars and all, it’s made me who I am today, and I like who I am today.

If I could take back anything, it would be those times when I was less charitable to people than I could have been. Since I can’t do that I’ll make up for it going forward.

We all have things we wish we had said or done. That doesn’t mean that our lives would have been better if we HAD said or done them, though it MIGHT have been different.

One of my favorite books a few decades ago was “Door Into Summer”, Robert Heinlein. It is about time travel (but not part of his Lazarus Long works) and the complexities involved (how you go back in time to correct a wrong and then how to correct the present to bring about the right future). Another memory is watching (many, many times) “The Last Unicorn” with my kids where the ‘Unicorn’ explains that humans are the only creatures that can feel regret. Possibly because we are the only creatures that do things to regret.

But school teachers will retire too early.

Press one of the buttons and you say, “Oh, yeah?” (One of the better comebacks.)

Not sure I’d still be around if I’d said or done some things I thought about saying, or doing.

How many lives do we get with this game?

So, my being constantly watched feeling was not paranoia after all?

There is a Drabble strip..Norman walking and suddenly thinks “ Liar, liar, pants on fire”. Then he thinks:” THAT is what I should have said to that kid in third grade…I usually have a snappy comeback if given enough time”.

See Red Dwarf episode “Better than Life” and how it works out for Rimmer – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Better_Than_Life_(Red_Dwarf_episode)

To be played in god mode to avoid repercussions.

Hope it’s a turn-based RPG.

I would unsay “I do”

I’d have to go waaaaaay back. LOL

We will all have an exit interview at the end of this life. Make sure you do good, it’s the only review that matters!