One of my pupils said something to me recently that really stayed with me.
He came to music later in life.
He has always loved it — always. But when he was younger, there simply wasn’t the opportunity. Life moved quickly, responsibilities took over, and music was put to one side.
Now, looking back, he feels a deep sense of regret. He told me he wishes he had started sooner. That if he could turn back time, he would choose music again — even if he never became “successful” by anyone else’s standards. He would still do it. Just for the love of it.
We had a gentle conversation about that feeling. About time. About regret. About the ache of “what if.”
The truth is, none of us can turn back the clock. But we can decide what we do with the time we have now.
And the beautiful thing is this:
He is doing it.
He chose music anyway.
He is no longer sitting at home wondering, wishing, or doubting. He turned the longing into action.
That matters more than perfection. More than late starts. More than imagined pasts.
If we all lived in regret, the world would be a very sad place.
So this is a reminder — for him, for me, and for anyone reading:
Now is the time.
Enjoy what you love.
Be present in it.
And let the future grow from where you are, not from where you wish you’d been.
Because starting late is always better than never starting at all.
