Friday, April 5, 2013

FML Fridays - The Path Not Taken

In case you haven't seen it yet, there's a Goodreads giveaway going on right now.  It'll go until May
15th and there are 3 copies of FML available.  I'll certainly be giving some copies away here too as we get closer to the release date!

I'm pretty sure there's not a person alive who hasn't thought about what might have happened if they'd done X instead of Y.  If they'd talk to that guy instead of chickening out.  If they'd turned left instead of right at that intersection.

I think a lot about choices and how they affect me.  Every time I start to feel regret, I look back at every choice that's brought me to right now and realize that I'm probably right where I'm supposed to be.  Maybe I could have gotten here quicker or by way of a less bumpy road, but I still got here.

Kirkus is the first publication to review FML (Thanks, Kirkus!), and my favorite line from their review is:  In only one storyline will Simon kiss Cassie, but in both he’ll find that this party has changed his life.

I think that's the truest thing anyone's ever said about FML.  Writing Simon's story gave me the opportunity to look at my own philosophies regarding fate and regret and life, and put them on display for readers.  Simon makes some terrible choices in both story lines.  He acts like a fool and doesn't see the things that are clearly in front of his face, but by the end of each story line, he is changed.  His life is changed.

I don't really think it's spoiling anything for me to say that I believe life isn't about wondering what might have happened, it's about embracing what's happening right now.  It's about owning the decisions we make and trying to live the best life possible.  I've made some major mistakes in my life, but life always offers you the opportunity to learn and correct your course.    Maybe if I'd tried harder in school or stayed in college or not been such a complete jerk in my twenties, I could have gotten to this point in my life a lot sooner.  But what does it matter?  I'm here and I love my life.  I just happened to take the long way around.

In one storyline, Simon also takes the long way around.  But in both storylines he winds up where he was always meant to be.

There is no path not taken, there is only the path you're on.

2 comments:

  1. Yup. I learn everything the hard way on the journey. So far, though, that's gotten me to the checkpoints at just the right time. No real regrets.

    Can't wait to read FML!

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    Replies
    1. It's weird, right? Even things that seemed like the end of the world at the time turn out to have put us on the right path in the end. Life is so messed up and awesome that way.

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