We all have our little musings where we ask ourselves various “What if…?” questions.
What if I didn’t major in Latin?
What if I married x instead of y?
What if Derrick Rose wasn’t such a selfish tool, could the Bulls really win over the Heat?
What if I had gotten that job working for the Bears?
Michael Caine and Jim Belushi in “Mr. Destiny”
In most cases we’re really wondering to ourselves how our lives might’ve turned out had we gone down a different path. I often think of the scene in “Mr. Destiny” where Michael Caine shows John Belushi’s brother that by altering one – albeit minor – moment in life, the REST his life changed dramatically (a different wife, a better job, new kids, a higher social status, etc.)
Admittedly I sometimes wonder how my life would’ve been different had I stayed in the small town where I was raised. Or had I proposed to a previous girlfriend as opposed to my current wife. Or if I tried giving broadcasting a better effort early in my career.
What if I didn’t hurt my knee playing football? What if I wasn’t raised by my grandparents?
My life most certainly would be different right now and it’s impossible to say if it would be for the better or for the worse. Either way, it’s not worth dwelling upon. I have a good life, a loving wife, and awesome twins.
Yet another “What if…?” (and the real purpose of this BLOG) was asked recently on Google+ by one of my favorite authors, James Rollins. He simply asked: “What would you do if you knew the world was ending in four days?” (Why he chose four days, I don’t know. Maybe he’s got the inside dirt on a weekend End of Days.)
My immediate answer was the following:
The Twins at Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells
So that’s it. I have four days to live and without hesitation, I’d choose to go to the self-proclaimed “Waterpark Capital of the World” to none other than the Kalahari Resort. Even after mulling it over for a day or so, my answer remains the same. The twins, of course, would ecstatic. Which would make my wife happy, which in turn would make me happy. Even our dog would be thinking that it would be the best few days of his life.
And isn’t that what life is all about? Not pondering the past wondering what could have made you happy, but rather doing what actually does make you happy? It’s really a no-brainer for me.
Just curious. How would you spend your last four days?
“current wife” you have a “past wife” I don’t know about? 😉
Well. I used to be Mormon so it was expected….
My first instinct: Definitely with the family. But I’d go to Europe. There are so many things I’ve always wanted to see there.
But upon further reflection, the Dells sound pretty good too. Because we could surely get my brother and his family to come from Milwaukee. Not to mention all the grandparents. And drag my sister-in-laws and their families over. Europe, maybe not so much…
Also: I think of this question everyone starts mentioning the Yellowstone caldera and when might it blow. I just hope I’m home and not traveling. We live close enough to be obliterated quickly and if my family is wiped out in seconds, I better be there and not over in Virgina auditing a golf course.
Arg. “I think of this WHENEVER everyone…” Proofreading. I don’t gots it.
It’d be nice to try and check off a few items from life’s bucket list, but unfortunately time wouldn’t be on your side. Plus, what if these things you wanted to see turned out to be a disappointment? (“Look kids Parliament. Big Ben.”)
Let’s just hope we’ll never be in that predicament…