In the light of this contest, I've really come to appreciate the value and significance of time, even a minute is enough to make a whole lot of differences.
Also, looking at those sci-fi movies where they try to play with time, it only makes sense now as I perceive how much change can be done if man is able to go back and in time.
Man's desire to travel back in time with knowledge of the future is strong, yet it is currently only a fantasy. Many wars have been fought and are currently being fought that could have been avoided by simple actions; many lives have been lost and are currently being lost as a result of simple actions in the past; we all have regrets, and regrets are essentially an indication of man's innate desire to go back in time and do things differently.
As a man, I've had my fair share of regrets and a burning desire to right wrongs in the past, and 10 minutes is more than enough time if I had the chance to go back in time. At the very least, I could have avoided that investment plan that cost me money, I could have avoided buying a crashing coin, I could have avoided some associations that cost me my sanity, and much more.
There are an infinite amount of corrections I could have made, but there is one in particular that I want to correct, which takes us to "The Amputation", version two.
I recounted the horrible scenario my would-be mother-in-law was going through in my initial article on the amputation, and now that it's been almost four months, here's a follow-up.
The Accident
On the 21st of January 2022, my potential mother-in-law was involved in a tragic road traffic accident while attempting to provide for the family for whom she has unfortunately become the breadwinner. She lost both legs and her vision (we hope the later will be temporary).
It was more than an accident: It was an Experience
Being in a catastrophic accident is one thing; being caregivers, victims, and loved ones is quite another. If nothing else, this incident reminded me that we are all egocentric beings, including myself. This means that it's difficult to be or find someone who is truly empathetic, even if everyone else is displaying sympathy.
It was a horrific event that I hope my enemies never have to go through. It wasn't until lately that I realized how poor I and those around me were (both financially and emotionally), and how difficult it is for humans to overcome their selfish impulses. When they are not personally harmed, no one cares.
It was a complete mixed bag, from securing hospital admittance to struggling to raise the necessary finances. I and her family will be eternally grateful to everyone who helped make her survival possible, but I know I and her family did not have any friends, families, or acquaintances who were too poor and destitute to render help, and I also know that generosity is measured by one's willingness to help others in need, not by one's wealth. People will always do whatever they can to demonstrate concern if the willingness exists.
It was an experience, and I'm not trying to point fingers or cast blame, but it appears that we've become so consumed with ourselves that we've lost sight of compassion and humanitarianism.
Granted, no one is responsible for you or your family, but when a person has a problem, it is only reasonable to anticipate assistance from individuals in the immediate vicinity before reaching out to others.
At the end of the day, the statement - "It is all man for himself, and God for us all" seemed truer to life than it has ever been.
10 Minutes Please
If I could go back in time just 10 minutes, I could probably persuade my would-be mother-in-law to cancel the trip that day, and the ripple effect of that single action may have been enormous today. By now, I could have been married, she could have been walking on both legs with excellent vision, the family could have been debt-free, and perhaps the lessons learned from the situation would not have surfaced.
However, tampering with time in the past has both present and future repercussions; you never know what might have gone wrong if you could have avoided the mistake and tragedy that comes with time. There's no way of knowing whether it would have improved or made things worse in new ways.
Final Words
At the end of the day, there is very little, if anything, we can do to undo the effects of past events. We can only learn to live with them and attempt to avoid such occurrences in the future. Ultimately, the fact written in the Book of Ancient Wisdom continue to hold true:
the swift do not always win the race, nor do the mighty win the battle,+ nor do the wise always have the food, nor do the intelligent always have the riches,+ nor do those with knowledge always have success,+ because time and unexpected events overtake them all.*
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