If I could relive the last five years of my life, I would change everything. I would be more courageous as a woman. I would speak up for myself. I would have taken the opportunity I was given for study abroad, instead of refusing the scholarship, which is what I was forced to do. I would have put my foot down and said ‘Enough is enough!’ I would have taken my fortune by the forelock. But then again, would I have done all that if I could rewind the clock, or would I have been the coward twice?

Image by joyluichieh via Flickr

It sounds strange, but if I had only two weeks to live, I would not be too unhappy! I would have some regrets, like not having achieved what I potentially could have done, but I would spend the two weeks at peace. My biggest regret would be not having written a book. I feel that if I die without leaving behind a book, I will be a failure in my own eyes. I have not done anything about those regrets because my culture stops me from writing openly without condemnation, so if I have regrets, they are not of my own making. And death would be a beautiful release!

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