Second Chances & Regret

No one is perfect. No one will always make the right decisions. People who regret their actions can take advantage of second opportunities that come their way. It is clear that Wes Moore takes advantage of his due to his successful life today. It is also clear that the other Wes Moore never changes his actions even after his second chance, which leads him to be involved in a robbery and end up in jail for the rest of his life. Mistakes impact people in different ways. Some learn and grow from their mistakes, but others do not learn or do not understand that dangerous decisions comes with dangerous consequences.

Wes Moore has not always been on the right path, but he definitely takes advantage of the second chance his mother gives him when she sends him to military school. In military school Wes Moore was able to mature and understand that his mother only wanted the best for him. He works hard in military school to move up in ranks and get good grades to make his mother proud, who works hard to keep him in the school. If his leaders in military school did not push him to apply to John Hopkins, he would have not attended that school and realized his hard work paid off. Although Wes Moore makes many wrong decisions as a young kid, it leads to the life he has now. In Wes Moore’s case there is not any regret of his past actions because it all leads him to have a great support system to push him to be his best everyday.

The other Wes Moore looks for a second chance at a better life. When he starts to regret getting into the drug dealing game, he searches for a program that could help him get on his feet to find a real job. After given the opportunity, completing the program, and working at a few places with low salary, Wes goes back to his old neighborhood only to realize that he can not handle the hard work required. He goes back to dealing drugs instead of working hard to be able to support his wife and kids. Unlike Wes Moore, he does not take advantage of the second chance he receives. If he had kept working hard, he could have found a higher paying job or have been offered a promotion. He had the opportunity to stop drug dealing, but takes the easy way out. Staying in the game only led him to commit crimes over and over again until he becomes part of a murder in which there was no way out. At this point, it no longer matters what decisions he regrets because he does not have any more second chances.

I have been offered second chances many times and I try to make the best of every opportunity. There are decisions I regret making because not only did it affect me but it affected others around me. Other decisions I do not regret because it has shaped me to be a stronger and better person. Every mistake comes with consequences, therefore some second chances may be harder to take advantage of, but it is not impossible. It is up to each person to make sure that they make the best out of every opportunity given to them. Second chances allows a person to use their experience and growth to be able to make better decisions that affect them and the people around them in a positive way.