Back when I was wee, there was a TV show called Quantum Leap. Quantum Leap was about a Scientist named Sam Beckett who got caught in a botched experiment and ended up “leaping” into people in the past (but within his lifetime) and changing and improving their lives. Putting aside the whole “higher power” thingy going on, it was a great idea.
I remember when a teenager discussing with my friend what you do if you leapt back in time to a younger you. It was a fun thought-exercise. And for some reason I started thinking yesterday… “what if I, the adult me, leapt back into being a teenager?”
The amazing thing I realised was that I’m a completely different person. Completely. My attitude, my opinions and my perspective are all different. Besides all the knowledge that I’ve accumulated (which would be enormous advantage… imagine knowing how big the web is going to go big…), the way I approach things and life has changed. Part of that is probably becoming a father, your priorities change but also part of it is just life experiences, getting married, buying a house, working in a professional environment and so on.
While I would never willing leap back to being a teenager, I realised that I’d wouldn’t want to change anything either, good or bad. It’s not about regret or not regretting. I love my wife, love my kids. Changing the past, even subtly, could change everything that I hold dear.
What a life-affirming conclusion! 