Writing and Regret

I try not to live with many regrets as I believe everything is a learning experience, but sometimes we do have real regret. My regret is revolved around writing-not writing enough.  If I could have went back and wrote on all my trips, my life in Los Angeles, and especially more writing in New York. I was often writing thoughts, theories, and ideas on notepads. New York is the city that stimulated my mind. It is no wonder such great writers come out of New York-the city and your experiences just stick with you.  I really could have had a solid book by now or possible two.  The should haves of the past are over and I have to work from the present day forward. 
Currently, a specific writing regret is catching up to me- not taking a Grant Writing course in Social Work school. I always knew it would be useful, but I avoided it because I focused on classes that peaked my interest more. 

If you think about it, Grant writing is one of the most important parts of social work. For years and years, I have been focused on the face to face therapeutic aspect with clients and paid little attention to funding.  Living in Morocco and travelling through Asia, I see that the funding is what keeps organizations going.  This statement is not saying that money is the only important thing for an organization, but money is the realistic component.  For example, Operation Smile has procedures performed day in and day out and these procedures cost a lot of money.

After speaking with the Directors of a few large organizations in Casablanca, I realize the need for funding is a big one, which is why I am going to try to teach myself Grant writing or find some experienced grant writers who can help me.  This will make me feel like I am doing something good on the larger scale of things while staying involved directly with NGOS. It is the best of both worlds: direct interaction and indirect-fundraising.