Second Chance

[Inspired by Sunday Scribblings.]

To me the idea of a second chances are about regret. I had trouble with this because I'm just not a "regrets" kind of person. For better or worse, I don't spend a lot of time thinking about what might have been. My wife hears me all too often say "get over it" and "what do we do about this NOW?"

The title of my blog is from my favorite poem (you can see it in tiny print in the sidebar). It is definitely about accepting and going forward.

I heard this on the radio once: "There is only one name on a tombstone." It definitely strikes a chord in me.

So, instead of tying this theme to regrets, I list some of the repeats that I look forward to, whether common or rare:

1. Long soaks in the bathtub.
2. Two-week vacations when we are not reachable by phone or e-mail.
3. Soaking up the sun at the beach.
4. Fantastic fine-dining as a special treat. (I think lovingly of a trip 20 years ago to Locke-Ober in Boston when my uncle treated his favorite--OK, only--niece to one fantastic meal. I also remember a trip 4 years ago to Quebec City when my wife and I ate at Aux Anciens Canadiens. In both cases the beyond-excellent food was remarkable, but the top-notch service made for stand-out evenings.)
5. Skiing down a hill with perfect snow (preferably before my legs scream at me that I'm too out of shape to be doing that).
6. Walks in the woods.
7. Sitting with my wife in front of a blazing fire.