Parallel Life

One of my favorite movies is Sliding Doors with Ms. Gwyneth Paltrow. Now, if you're not familiar with the movie, you must run and go get it, move it to the top of your Netflix queue or see if it's playing on TV. It's just sublime. The premise is that one simple thing can alter the course of your life. The movie proceeds to show what happens when Gwyneth's character catches and misses a train -- all due to how fast the sliding door closes. There are many parallels in both worlds ... and I won't ruin the ending for you, but ultimately it follows my mantra of what's meant to be will be.

Every once in a while, I wonder how my life would have turned out if certain things would have changed. If I had followed the course many of my classmates did, would I still be living in my hometown? Okay, probably not, but would I have stayed the course I'm at now, moved to NY and pursued my dream as a great writer with five day jobs to pay the rent? Moved to the West Coast and lived the life of a granola or entertainment lawyer? (Yes, I actually considered law school for a few brief moments.) If I had found a mate in college, would I be living in a very red state and be a Republican? (Again, doubt it ... but ...)

I enjoy my life, and for the most part wouldn't change much ... but every once in a while, I just have to wonder. Do you ever wonder what turn your life would have taken if you'd done just one thing differently?