FB comes through

ah facebook. you lovely, awful part of today's existence.

yesterday, feeling antsy, i decided i'd set out and watch a little hockey at a bar. Rangers were playing Ottawa in Game Seven  to decide who would win the first round of NHL playoffs. (i hope this isn't making it sound like i'm talking about the Stanley Cup Finals, 'cause i'm not. but if you follow hockey you know what i'm talking about and if you don't, well, you don't care anyway, so moving right along).

did i want to go to a bar to watch hockey? no. but when you don't have cable, sometimes you have to pay for that indulgence (yes, i think it's an indulgence not having cable) by drinking a beer you don't want in a public setting you aren't in the mood for or as in my case last night, dressed for.

five day dirty hair (yep. that's right. i said it. five days.) was perfectly complemented by sweats and slipper socks. stalling before i put on real clothes, i first checked facebook. my landlord/neighbor had posted "GO RANGERS" as her status.

a phone call later, i was on her couch. and solely thanks to facebook, i had great companionship, a doggie on my lap, hockey, and beer all whilst sweats and slipper socks remained intact. granted, i still had on a hat to cover up my nasty hair, but come on, that's just politeness.

it was a marvelous evening.

today, FB led me to a little Friday inspiration when it told me that a friend of a friend read an article on the UK's Guardian website that listed the five most common regrets of the dying as observed and written down by a palliative care nurse.  who knew that friend of a friend was up to such a thing? well me, and now you. so thanks FB.

happy friday all, now go have a little fun...before it's too late. whoops, sorry. that's grim. but seriously, have fun this weekend, while you still can.

(for the whole article follow the hyper-link, otherwise, and i'm sure i'm infringing on copyrights somewhere, the good stuff is pasted below.)


1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
"This was the most common regret of all. When people realise that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made. Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it."

2. I wish I hadn't worked so hard.
"This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children's youth and their partner's companionship. Women also spoke of this regret, but as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence."

3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.
"Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result."

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
"Often they would not truly realise the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying."

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.
"This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called 'comfort' of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content, when deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again."