Timelines

I could fill a multiverse with the alternate realities that could have been had I made different decisions.  But were I to look back, I could see that even bad decisions in the moment may have prevented me from some of the joys I have now.

What if I didn’t fail out of college?  I wouldn’t be sitting here.  I wouldn’t have my son, or have known my daughter.

Perhaps I may have been a great journalist, maybe even had moved to New York as I planned.  But I would not know many of the people who I’ve come to love in my life.

What if I hadn’t gotten divorced? Perhaps we could have worked things out, or perhaps my wife would have continued to be an enabler and I never would have found recovery.  If I stayed married, perhaps my son would have grown to resent his drunk father, or worse, followed in my footsteps.

What if I hadn’t hurt my back? I may have retired from the Army by now, or died in Iraq.

What if I had told my high school crush I loved her? Would I have stayed in my hometown? Would I be managing a Wal-Mart like my cousin? I would have missed out on all my exciting adventures. I probably would never have been a writer, or maybe I still would have.

I’m perfectly fine with the road I took with all its ups and downs, bumps and potholes, and all the detours and traffic jams.  The road I took brought me here. Even bad decisions can bring you to the right place in the end.

But then again, maybe I would have been the journalist to take down Trump!  Ah, well…