Long-held wish to run through the time travel

By: Aditi Surha

What if we had the chance to go back and undo a mistake? It’s a question that gnaws at us when regret lingers whether we took a path that took us farther from where we wanted to be or a decision we made in a moment of weakness. But would rewriting that chapter ensure happiness? Or would we risk unraveling the very lessons that have shaped us?

I’ve made such mistakes- something I wish I could undo. There are so many instances where I wish I had been more focused, so many opportunities I missed simply because I let distractions steer me off course. I wish I’d signed up for that internship, or the debate competition, practiced more for the sport that I held so dear, and paid more attention to the people I love. If I could time travel, I think I’d go back to the times when I lost sight of what mattered. The further I drifted, the more I convinced myself that I could catch up later. But ‘later’ never seemed to arrive. And now, when I look back, I wonder how different things could’ve been had I just stayed committed. 

I always wished there was some way of turning back time, which led me to not be present in the moment. Because I was always so focused on what was that I was blind to what could be. So many moments where I felt like I was back in tenth grade and dissociating from reality, wishing I could go back and live those moments with my friends all over again. There are moments that I don’t wish to change but just feel them again. Sitting in class, singing songs, making jokes, not knowing that some of them were the last ones I spent. It’s unsettling to know one day, for the last time, I will sit on these old wooden benches that have witnessed thousands of memories scribbled onto them; these dirty white-washed walls of the classroom that have heard contagious laughter, secrets or surprises for birthdays. These are moments I would want to go back to just to have the luxury of living them again. Although, it plays in contrast to the regret of things I could’ve done for myself and might’ve lived a different course of life.

Time travel no doubt grants us the possibility to erase our mistakes, but it also denies us the opportunity for growth. Maybe true growth doesn’t come from rewriting the past but from moving forward, armed for the battles that lie ahead with the knowledge you’ve gained through the oversights. And if given the chance to travel through time, I might not undo these mistakes. I might just visit it and remind myself that I’m stronger now because of them. I’ve learnt through the years that all the pieces will fall apart, but soon they’ll fall in the exact right places. I can still make up for a lost time, but only if I choose to stay focused now, today.

In my distractions, I’ve learned the harsh reality of missed chances and the value of focus. Maybe those regrets are exactly what I need to push myself harder now, to be more intentional with the ticking of time’s mockery. However, the paradox is this: while time travel may let us rewrite our mistakes, it’s not just regrets that draw us back. Sometimes, we long to return to the moments of joy, to relive the laughter and love we wish had lasted longer. But perhaps the true power isn’t in chasing what’s behind us, but in learning to cherish the good we once had, trusting that it shaped us as much as the pain, and knowing that moving forward holds new moments just as beautiful.