There are always things to be thankful for. Family, friends, good health, etc.
Then there are things like this. Obscure things. This is one of them.
As a (mostly former) guitarist and songwriter, when I was younger, I tried and failed to get a band together. I didn't have the insane drive often required, the other band members were lame, etc.
I used to joke with my classes that I could have been Pearl Jam. I wrote the same sort of angry, disaffected music, etc. that they did. I didn't have the seemingly (from what I've read) horrible family life that Vedder did, so I imagine the angry, disaffected music came from my naturally cheery (sarcasm) genetic disposition.
And I wrote a lot, a *lot* of music. Wrote a rock opera about the Tiananmen Square massacre (which, I might say, wasn't bad, considering what an 18-19 year old could write), enough material for 3-4 releases (mapped out the track lists and everything), etc. And in a certain respect, I regret that I never had that opportunity.
But it also occurred to me....if I had gone down that road, I would have a VH1 'Behind the Music' episode dedicated to me at this point. I can hear the intro at about minute 15..."And then, as time went on, jdn spiralled down into depression and substance abuse, as rigors on the road took their toll...."
Or something like that. Whether I would have done the 'after rehab, he took on a whole new life' road or the 'as his bandmates remember him, it was inevitable' road is unclear.
Still, some good songs would have come out.