XLIV: Timing is Everything

Have you ever taken a moment to think about how a tiny decision you made one day created a butterfly effect that shaped the course of your life?

Something as simple as sleeping in or stopping to tie your shoelace can dramatically affect your day/week/month/year/life in ways unimaginable. We've all heard the tragic stories, spanning from adolescent freak accidents to Olympic freak accidents. We've also heard about remarkable twists of fate, the most concrete accounts having to do with terrorist activities such as 9/11 or the London tube bombings--stories of people deciding to take another flight or changing their morning routine.

Then there are the stories of happily ever after: a talent scout discovers a girl at a shopping mall who later becomes a supermodel; a chance meeting on a bus ride brings two soulmates together; checking your work's classifieds page introduces a new member to your family.

And when you think of your own experiences this way, the thoughts are framed by "if..." and "then...":

• Juliet: If I hadn't gone to the party, then I wouldn't have met Romeo (I don't know whether meeting Romeo had a positive or negative effect on Juliet's fictional life -- this is a whole other can of worms that sounds something like "is it better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all?"...Let's save that for another day.)
• Me: If I hadn't caught the Olympic Line tram with Nicky, then I wouldn't have bumped into my parents in Downtown; if I hadn't bumped into my parents in Downtown and gotten forced to take a picture in a bobsled with them, then I would have caught an earlier bus. (Okay, I admit that this strange coincidence of literally getting off the Canada Line, looking left, and seeing my parents walk by led to my treatise today...seriously, what are the odds?)

The important thing is not to dwell on the what-ifs. I am definitely not one to talk as I often replay trivial memories in my head and wonder what could have been. But what is much more important--and this is something I know I must learn--is to give yourself more credit for the decisions you have made, because, as cliché as this sounds, they brought you where you are today. And if you're at a low point in life right now, remember that it's just transitory and you will bounce back. We always do.

In the meantime, if this subject interests you, I'd recommend watching Sliding Doors. It's what first sparked all these thoughts in me a few years ago, and it's guaranteed to get you to start thinking as well.

Now, don't get me started on fate vs. free will...