At the Pond

It's a brilliant day of winter at the park. The trees are leafless, the grass is covered with snow, the lake is frozen and all the ducks are gone. On the snow-free footpath the old Baruch strolls carefully towards a bench, he sits down and takes out the sandwiches he carefully prepared earlier in the morning. After a couple of minutes of observing the park and the people and the birds that occupied it, a young fellow sat down right next to him, hands pocketed, sighing loudly. Baruch turned his head towards his new neighbor and saw that he had wrapped his head into his collar up to his nose. When he breathed out vapor left his nose in curly shapes that somehow reminded Baruch of impressionist painters. As he was wondering about Matisse, Van Gogh and all their friends Baruch didn't realize that he'd been staring at the guy for an impolite amount of time, this didn't seep into his consciousness until his newly acquired bench partner gave him a surprised look. Baruch, being happy for not getting a sneer, apologized: "Oh, I'm so sorry, you see, I sometimes get caught up in a long train of thought and then I'm not very much aware of what happens around me anymore."
"No, it's fine, really, I was distracted a little bit myself as well."
After a short pause Baruch estimated that his chances of striking up some conversation were considerable, taking the fact that his bench partner was wearing glasses Baruch drew the conclusion that he'd learned how to read. So he asked: "Did you ever read The Catcher in the Rye? By, oh what's his name again," he thought for a while, and after localizing the right spot in his brain exclaimed: "Salinger!! J.D. Salinger!"
"Yes I did," the young fellow replied while looking at the frozen pond with squinted eyes, "sir, do you, by any chance, have an idea where the ducks have gone?"
Baruch laughed, he laughed out loud, and said in a friendly manner: "No, I don't have a clue where they've gone! What's your name, if I may ask?"
"I'm Stephen," the young man answered. Baruch introduced himself as well and after Stephen removed his right hand from his pocket the two of them shook hands and exchanged a friendly smile. "Baruch, I realize this may sound a little bit off, but you seem like you know quite a bit about life, can I ask you a question?"
Baruch chuckled a little bit, because he was considered wise by a twenty-something: "I'm sorry Stephen, I'm in no position to tell you whether or not your assumption is correct. I guess there's only one way for you to find out, please, by all means, ask!"
"Did you ever regret the way certain things played out for you?"
"Of course I did, Stephen. I suppose you're not asking this out of a direct interest in the study of how to live, but that you regret a recent happening in your own life. Am I right?"
A little bit hesitating at first, Stephen looked at Baruch and answered in honest fashion: "Yes... yes, you're right."
"Do you mind me asking what you're sobbing about?" Baruch proposed carefully.
"No, not really, it's just that my girlfriend broke up with me a while ago. It's not like I didn't see it coming at all, she'd been saying she felt somewhat 'trapped' and 'missing out on things' for a while already. I still miss her a bit, but that's not my main concern, though..."
"Let me guess," Baruch interrupted, "you're concerned about the 'missing out on things', aren't you? Tell me you are!" Stephen nodded slowly, but confirming.
"Listen to me," Baruch continued in a convinced way, "I might be just an old fart but a few years ago I've been thinking about the opportunities I missed in the hundred years past. I thought I could have majored in much more subjects while at college, that I should have loved my parents more and that I should have visited more parties. But Stephen, as you keep thinking about the could haves and the should haves you only learn about what could have been, and not about what can be!"
"Wow, Baruch, that's a whole mouthful, but don't you think that things would've looked differently if I made some other decisions earlier on?"
"Yes, of course 'things' would've looked differently. But you would still have been you, and if you're unhappy with things now you also would've been unhappy with things in the ideal alternate world you're constructing in your mind. Argh, I can't say this the right way, give me a second," and Baruch closed his eyes and engaged in deep thought. Stephen looked at him and thought that the old man must be plowing through the vast cabinets of knowledge present in his mind. After a while, Baruch didn't have a clue how long the 'while' was, he looked up, and continued: "yes, do you know Tennessee Williams? Playwright with a troubled life?"
"Yes I might have read a play of him once, I believe."
"You know what he says about the 'alternative lives' you're considering in your head right now? 'Everything could have been anything else, and it would have had just as much meaning!' Stephen, it doesn't matter if you miss out on things others consider unmissable, just as long as you don't miss out on life."
The two of them looked at the pond for a while. Children were playing alongside it, families were walking their dogs. Everything seemed good, and both Baruch and Stephen felt that they weren't missing out on anything. After a while Stephen turned, and said: "Thanks Baruch, you are a wise man. I'm very grateful for running into you here but I've got to get to class now, alas. Err.. would you mind if I asked you one more question?"
"No sure, go ahead," Baruch enthusiastically spoke.
"What path is the right one to take from here to the college?"
"Well Stephen, don't worry about that, every path is the right one," Baruch said as he smiled, shook Stephen's hand and waved goodbye.

Baruch sat back, and smiled, for he had reason to believe that Stephen was going to take the right path, and become a happy man after all.