While time travel is often discussed as science fiction, and mostly portrayed in movies, a future where one is only remembered for bad rather than good is quite thought provoking as it raises some deeply concerning questions within me. Questions about responsibilities, our actions, regrets and most importantly, do we truly have the power to redefine our path and change our legacy?. This concept of time travel forces me to reflect on the moral implications of some actions we take today and the long term consequences it may have on us in the near future.
If I had the opportunity to travel to the future, to discover that I am being remembered more on the negative side and less on the positive, my natural response would be to change such a future. I would begin to retrace my step back, pause and reflect on my life right now, obtain clarity and purpose about what truly matters and work with intentionality on rewriting such a future.
But a situation where such a future cannot be rewritten. Where such a future is unchangeable would be quite hard for me to accept. Growing up, I’ve always stood with the firm belief that we make our own destiny, We choose our own path, and our future is in our hands to mould as we want. So such knowledge would be truly hard for me to acceptKnowing there's a bad history of me in time coming and not being able to change it, I think that is the highest form of torture an individual could live with. That is punishment in its own way.
Not being able to correct the past, and living with the weight of your bad choices can be quite depressing, frustrating even. Personally, I do not think I would be able to live that kind of life. Regrets would gnaw at me every single day that passes by. For what was, and what I couldn't correct. A sense of self failure would overwhelm me. And I would forever reflect back to my past mistakes with a heart of regrets and pain.
But I believe everyone should have the right to second chances. An opportunity to rewrite the wrongs, and make amends for the future. A chance to learn from their mistakes, and grow from their errors. This is because, there is no greater punishment than for one to live a life full of regret, wishing he/she had done better, chosen better or acted differently. I’ve seen what self guilt, self loathing and self regret can do to one. Such life can be quite emotionally, mentally and physically draining. It strips one of happiness and joy.
To sum it all, a trip to the future where our actions are only remembered for the bad rather than the good, raises an important question for us all in the present time. “what impact are we transmitting in the society at large?”. This concept causes us to stop and ponder the question, “are our actions presently worth remembering for good or bad?. The aim is to be more intentional about life now, because we never can tell if we will ever have the opportunity of a second chance.