My Way

This morning I had to make a quick run to the local discount store because I had a washing machine full of soggy clothes and no laundry detergent. Oops! While I was there I heard a snippet of the song “My Way” that has been recorded by many people over the years, mostly famously Frank Sinatra.

Since my brain loves to torture me (see my previous post on this topic) I’ve had that song bouncing around my cranium ever since. In an effort to stop the madness I looked up the song lyrics online so I could at least “enjoy” the entire piece instead of just bits and pieces. They are as follows:

And now the end is near And so I face the final curtain
My friend I’ll say it clear I’ll state my case of which I’m certain
I’ve lived a life that’s full I traveled each and every highway
And more, much more than this I did it my way

Regrets I’ve had a few But then again too few to mention
I did what I had to do And saw it through without exemption
I planned each charted course Each careful step along the byway
And more, much more than this I did it my way

Yes there were times I’m sure you knew When I bit off more than I could chew
But through it all when there was doubt I ate it up and spit it out
I faced it all And I stood tall And did it my way

I’ve loved, I’ve laughed and cried I’ve had my fill, my share of losing
And now as tears subside I find it all so amusing
To think I did all that And may I say not in a shy way
Oh no, oh no, not me I did it my way

For what is a man what has he got If not himself then he has not
To say the things he truly feels And not the words of one who kneels
The record shows I took the blows And did it my way
Yes it was my way

While I am neither dying or male reading these lyrics really got me thinking about regrets in my own life. And yes, I do have a few. But not very many.

Have I made mistakes? Oh yes- lots and lots of them! But those mistakes have made me who I am! Even some of my deepest darkest secrets (and no, I’m not posting them all today!) wound up having helped me down the road by teaching me a lesson or helping me see myself in a different way or showing me who my true friends really are.

In the team building class I mentioned in my last post we had a discussion about whether or not personalities change with time. The instructor and I disagreed on this one as she said that studies show that personalities are mostly set by the time you turn 5 and I didn’t buy it. Anyone who knew me at 5, 15, or even 25 would have to agree with me that I am not the same person I was then by a long shot. And how did I get there? Partially be making big mistakes and finding my way through the aftermath. So how could I regret them?

I did it my way.