Regrets...

As a child - one of my favorite poems was "The Purple Cow" by Gelett Burgess.

"I never saw a Purple Cow,
I never hope to see one;
But I can tell you, anyhow,
I'd rather see than be one."

"The Purple Cow" is reprinted from A Nonsense Anthology. Ed. Carolyn Wells. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1915.

You may, or may not have heard this sometime during your childhood. It always made me smile - at the absurdity of seeing a Purple Cow, and at the thought that ANYONE could be a Purple Cow. But what many people do NOT realize is that he revisited The Purple Cow later in life:

The Purple Cow: Suite

"Ah, Yes! I Wrote the "Purple Cow" --
I'm Sorry, now, I Wrote it!
But I can Tell you Anyhow,
I'll Kill you if you Quote it!"

"The Purple Cow: Suite" is reprinted from The Burgess Nonsense Book Being a Complete Collection of the Humorous Masterpieces of Gelett Burgess. Gelett Burgess. New York: Frederick A. Stokes, 1901.

I have no idea what caused him to so regret writing that little nonsense poem, but regret it he did. He regretted it so much that he didn't even want anyone to repeat it to him.

I have many regrets in my life - far to many to list here. But I also have many things I do NOT regret. I do not regret taking responsibility for my health and my weight. I do not regret deciding on weight loss surgery. I do not regret making healthy choices about diet and exercise. And I absolutely DO NOT REGRET taking this journey - and sharing it with my friends.