Regret, it piles up around us like books we haven't read

While in Singapore, we went to the Children's Biennale at the National Gallery. As we went floor by floor to the installations, my map reading ability and lack of familiarity of the building's layout was challenged. In my defence the gallery spans across two buildings, but I am also a little deficient in this area.  At one point we stop to ask a guide where the work was and she pointed us in the other direction. As we cross the gallery, I realise she has to be wrong, so we return, this time asking 'kid's biennale?' and pointing past her. She then nods in surprise, bemused that we were wanting to see it, and points around the corner from where she is standing. In Singapore, apparently, adult tourists without kids with them would not be interested in the whimsical art works of the Children's Biennale.

The work in question was Lynn Lu's Duplet. You sit under the cloud and answer questions. The first question was 'What do you most want to do in life?'
The second question was 'Why haven't you done it?'

At which point we fled, not to be made to feel bad in our inadequacy by an artwork.


The simplicity of it is confronting. You have a dream, you just need to do it. That is basically all that holds you back. Your lack of action. The question strips you of your excuses, because it's quite hard to listen to your excuses out loud.

Ironically, the experience with the guard highlights that on occasion, other people's expectation of you holds you back. We clearly wanted to behave like children in the eyes of the guard, but we did it anyway. We could have easily skipped that work out of embarrassment. However I learnt long ago not to miss out for fear of looking foolish. 

So to avoid regret, I ask you:

What do you most want to do in life and why haven't you done it?

(Linking with #Lifethisweek because even though I make a lot of mistakes and say dumb things, I tend less to ask myself 'Why did I?' and the more common question is 'Why didn't I?'. For me it's what I didn't do that looms bigger in my thought space.  The link at the start of the post has more pictures of the other delightful installations. It was a really fun exhibition).