The things I might have done...

Do you ever have one of those moments where you're reminded of something from your past... maybe something that you did, something you said, or something that was said or done to you? Do you ever wonder what might have been different in your life had you simply made a different choice at some crucial (or even some mundane) junction? I think we all have those times, don't you? I don't know, I guess it's kind of a chance to play "what if," as it were.

I sometimes wonder what my life would have been like if I had decided to follow through on my notion to become a National Geographic photographer and spend my days capturing incredible images of our planet and people. I wonder what would have happened had I not had the strictest parents of all mankind. I wonder how I would have turned out had I not been best friends with my ya-ya's in high school, or roomed with a certain Norah Kate at UK. Would I have been so different if I had never played sports? Would my personality be so different if my little brother hadn't knocked out my front tooth (yes, a permanent one) when we played in the yard?

I can't say that I have any regrets, you know? I mean, sure, there are things that I would do differently if confronted with the same situation today, but I suppose part of that is the wisdom that comes from being able to make your own mistakes. But are they regrets? Nope. Not at all. Every wonderful or horrible, generous or selfish, truthful or deceitful, loving or hateful thing I've done... every choice that I've made, right or wrong... every action that has been made to support me or to break me down has served to mold me into the woman I am today. And you know what? I like who I've turned out to be! No, I'm not perfect, and I'll be the first to admit it, but I'm happy being exactly who I am: Jessica Brooke Duncan.

So who in the heck cares about the "could haves" and the "would haves" of my yesterdays and my last weeks and my years past? What I'm excited about are the "will be's" and the "yet to comes" of all of my tomorrows. Some words of advice from the vast wisdom (hardy har har) I've gained in my quarter-of-a-century of existence are to LOVE YOURSELF. Realize that everything that you have experienced, no matter how great or how terrible, has served to create a wholly unique individual... you! No one on this earth is exactly like you, so rejoice in the beauty and the imperfection of your uniqueness. Learn from your past, but don't dwell in it. Live in today, and dream of tomorrow.