The year is drawing to a close. The holidays are close at hand. Soon thoughts will turn to fresh starts and new beginnings. But before we look to the future, we've chosen to first look to the past. So all this week we've been busy talking to people about regrets- those feelings of disappointment, sorrow and remorse over things that have already happened or been done. And because regret can be so emotional and so personal, we offered total anonymity to everyone that we spoke to. Some took us up on the offer, some did not. As a result, some of our posts and photos may look just a little bit different than what you may have seen here before.
As always, we invite you to join the conversation... do you believe in regret or is everything in life just a lesson learned? And if you're feeling brave, you may even want to share your own story about regret. That's what the comment section is there for! What do you think of today's anonymous confessions of regret?
As always, we invite you to join the conversation... do you believe in regret or is everything in life just a lesson learned? And if you're feeling brave, you may even want to share your own story about regret. That's what the comment section is there for! What do you think of today's anonymous confessions of regret?
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DO YOU HAVE ANY REGRETS?
"Definitely. I mean, I have tiny regrets like not taking a certain job offer or not taking a chance on something, but those are meaningless really. I mean compared to my biggest regret."
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST REGRET?
"I cheated on my husband."
DID YOU REGRET IT IMMEDIATELY?
"Actually no. I mean, I felt bad about it immediately- horrible actually. But I don't think regret came into it for a while. I mean, it wasn't like some random thing. I thought that I really cared about the other person and vice versa. I still think about him."
AND THAT TURNED OUT NOT TO BE TRUE?
"No. It definitely wasn't what I thought it was going to be. It wound up being nothing more than an affair. Something that I never in a million years thought I would even do."
WHAT DID YOU SEE HAPPENING?
"I guess I thought that we were going to be together. I should have known that relationships that start out that way never work. You can't build a relationship on a foundation of deceit. I mean, you can't try to build something with someone when you're still entrenched in something else."
DID YOU EVER TELL HIM (YOUR HUSBAND)?
"Oh no way! Not a chance. I would never. I don't think he would ever forgive me. Not that I deserve forgiveness. But, people make mistakes. I made a mistake and I definitely regret it big time. I regret that I did it, but I really regret that it has put a wedge there that can never be removed. Everything is changed forever now. There's no going back. That is what I regret most. I changed everything and I am left to live with it on my own."
SO IF YOU COULD GO BACK AND CHANGE IT, DO IT OVER, BUT YOU RISK IT CHANGING EVERYTHING ELSE SINCE THEN AS WELL, WOULD YOU DO IT?
"I would! I don't think there is anything that could be set in motion that would be worse than having to live the entire rest of your life with that kind of guilt and shame. I really can't imagine. So, yeah, if I could go back and change it I would. I never would have done what I did- not in a million years. I'd take it back a thousand times."
"Definitely. I mean, I have tiny regrets like not taking a certain job offer or not taking a chance on something, but those are meaningless really. I mean compared to my biggest regret."
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST REGRET?
"I cheated on my husband."
DID YOU REGRET IT IMMEDIATELY?
"Actually no. I mean, I felt bad about it immediately- horrible actually. But I don't think regret came into it for a while. I mean, it wasn't like some random thing. I thought that I really cared about the other person and vice versa. I still think about him."
AND THAT TURNED OUT NOT TO BE TRUE?
"No. It definitely wasn't what I thought it was going to be. It wound up being nothing more than an affair. Something that I never in a million years thought I would even do."
WHAT DID YOU SEE HAPPENING?
"I guess I thought that we were going to be together. I should have known that relationships that start out that way never work. You can't build a relationship on a foundation of deceit. I mean, you can't try to build something with someone when you're still entrenched in something else."
DID YOU EVER TELL HIM (YOUR HUSBAND)?
"Oh no way! Not a chance. I would never. I don't think he would ever forgive me. Not that I deserve forgiveness. But, people make mistakes. I made a mistake and I definitely regret it big time. I regret that I did it, but I really regret that it has put a wedge there that can never be removed. Everything is changed forever now. There's no going back. That is what I regret most. I changed everything and I am left to live with it on my own."
SO IF YOU COULD GO BACK AND CHANGE IT, DO IT OVER, BUT YOU RISK IT CHANGING EVERYTHING ELSE SINCE THEN AS WELL, WOULD YOU DO IT?
"I would! I don't think there is anything that could be set in motion that would be worse than having to live the entire rest of your life with that kind of guilt and shame. I really can't imagine. So, yeah, if I could go back and change it I would. I never would have done what I did- not in a million years. I'd take it back a thousand times."
