| The American poet John Greenleaf Whittier once | | | | and bitterness at the unfairness and vagaries of life is |
| famously reflected; "For of all sad words of tongue | | | | almost always blamed on others. |
| or pen, the saddest are these: "It might have been". | | | | Recently I attended the funeral of a very old friend. |
| These words are of particular relevance today as | | | | Life had not gone well for this lifelong acquaintance. |
| modern life is buffeted by fear, insecurity and | | | | As usually happens at the burial and the wake, |
| constant social and commercial change. The capacity | | | | friends and family discussed my departed friend and |
| for humans in developed countries to look to others | | | | told stories about his life, loves and experiences. |
| for sustenance is a contemporary phenomenon | | | | Sadly, as I made my way from many of his oldest |
| fertilized in the 20th century and wildly expanded in | | | | friends to his family he was remembered with love, |
| the early 21st. | | | | but also with a deep sadness. The melancholy was |
| For most of human history individuals and small family | | | | evident as many spoke of the departed's |
| groups were solely responsible for hunting, gathering | | | | disappointment that his blue collar job and unfulfilled |
| and protecting their persons from the elements. No | | | | dreams that had turned him into a sad, semi-bitter old |
| one retired. There were no work rules except you | | | | man. |
| had better work and produce yours, and your | | | | This man had raised a family, worked, lived in a small |
| family's sustenance. Vacations were unknown. | | | | tidy home, attended church, drove his own car, and |
| Laziness would result in being cast out of the family | | | | possessed all of the modern conveniences of life: air |
| unit and likely starvation. | | | | conditioning, telephone, color television, washer, dryer, |
| Indeed, in most of the world to this day, people still | | | | etc. In short, he was one of the richest people in the |
| eke out their living as subsistence herders, farmers or | | | | history of the world. But he had, and regularly |
| fisherman. They begin work as soon as they can | | | | expressed deep regrets at the path his life had |
| walk and labor on until they die. Anthropologists have | | | | taken. He was an unsatisfied inventor. At the time of |
| studied these populations and noted that on the | | | | his death his home workshop was full of models, |
| whole, they seem to be more fulfilled, happier and | | | | prototypes and renderings of products he had |
| content with the simplest pleasures of life than | | | | conceived and wanted to bring to market. "It might |
| citizens of more wealthy, developed regions. | | | | have been", if only my old friend had been able to |
| What makes modern man, resident of industrialized | | | | take the plunge and commit himself to fulfilling his |
| countries so melancholy? The relative abundance of | | | | dreams. |
| necessities, and the opportunity to have these | | | | In my marketing and product development consulting |
| elements subsidized, or provided gratis have created | | | | business we meet all kinds of people seeking to |
| entitlement societies. | | | | commercialize their ideas and inventions. Many of the |
| This entitlement mindset has meant that many of us, | | | | ideas are poorly conceived or have other problems. |
| not all for certain but many, have lost the edge to | | | | However, many offer real commercial appeal and |
| live life to the fullest, face risk bravely, occasionally | | | | opportunity. But very few, only a handful will ever be |
| fall down, but always rise to fight on another day. It | | | | given a chance to see the consumer product |
| is easier for these folk to blame others and as they | | | | marketplace. The dreamers who choose to find |
| sight abundance all around them, feel and stake a | | | | reasons not to fully commit themselves to seek |
| claim on this bounty even though they have not | | | | success are cheating themselves. |
| contributed to its creation. | | | | I could not imagine facing the end of life and having |
| I find this waste of talent, energy and personal | | | | regrets that I had let life pass me by, not played the |
| fulfillment to be abhorrent. As Mr. Whittier so aptly | | | | game of life as fully as possible. W. C. Fields |
| stated; "It might have been". That it MIGHT have | | | | tombstone famously read, "I'd rather be here than in |
| been means that it wasn't. Opportunity has been lost | | | | Philadelphia". Too many people should have |
| for these souls. Life passes by and regrets; remorse | | | | gravestones that state: "It might have been". |