From “Julie’s Gems”: August 2003

So here’s a big question… Which is worse: getting what you really want and losing it, or never getting what you want? Seriously think about it for at least a second. Done? Okay, now here’s my take on things. Say, for example, that you always wanted to run your own bed & breakfast. You finally find the perfect location, and you are in business! A year or so later, the business is still floundering. In fact, running the B & B has put such a strain on your finances that you end up declaring bankruptcy. You had your dreams in your hands, but it slipped through your fingers and broke your heart.
Now let’s say there’s someone you’ve had feelings for several years. Before you get the chance to really know him or her and work up the nerve to make your move, he or she has taken another job in another state. You never had the opportunity to find out if you stood a chance with him or her. So which scenario was worse?
The first one is awfully depressing, isn’t it? But at least you got to live out your dream, even if for a brief while. Sure your great plan took a belly flop, but wasn’t it fun while it lasted? At least you saw the vision come to life and created great memories.
Now on to story number two. Is it better to have loved and lost or to never have loved at all? Who knows, but at least he or she never shattered the perfect illusion you had in your head of what may have been. You may be heart broken, but it’s the fantasy you lost, and not the reality.
Yes, I am now finally coming to a conclusion. I take that back, I’ll let you come to your own conclusion. Just consider this: even if your dreams don’t turn out like the ones swimming in your head, at least you had the opportunity to know what could have been. Enjoy the moment while you’re living it. And if you don’t get what you want in life, perhaps you should be thankful and savor the image in your mind, and maybe even learn from it, so the next time a new he or she comes into your life, you’ll know exactly what to do!