I spent part of this past Sunday taking pictures, and what seemed like the rest of the weekend looking at older pictures, deciding what photos deserved to go on to the website. Looking back at those pictures, all I hear is the loud booming voice of criticism, reminding me I was once woefully inexperienced. “This picture is too blurry, this one is almost there, why didn’t you do more to bring it all the way home, what were you thinking here?, you over-edited this picture, why didn’t you save the original?” As with all things, all you want is a do-over. Go back to those places and get it right. Take your new equipment, take your advanced sensibilities, and take your time — get it right. Sometimes you can revisit those places and you can do just that. The other side of that coin, unfortunately, is the bitter pill: you don’t get second chances. You won’t ever get to have that perfect cloud formation, or that lightning-in-a-bottle photographic opportunity you almost nailed. Maybe it’s just too expensive to take that vacation again. That’s the thing: whatever regret you have, you have to live with that. Experience carries with it a stain of inexperience and mistakes. Maybe that’s why it’s best to own yourself and look forward. It’s not easy. As they say in the mental health community, be kind to yourself and ask for forgiveness.