Chapter 15: Make Up Your Mind

Every day we make decisions that change the course and direction of out lives. When we get up in the morning and head for the bathroom, we make a decision, 'sit or stand, ' 'bath or shower'. Even NOT getting up is a decision. Then it's down to 'what color.'

What color? That's totally stupid. Oh really?

The boss might not like green and the promotion he couldn't decide about goes to Joe because you wore green and Joe wore brown ... the boss loves brown and wears it everyday.

Back the car out of the garage?

The kids brand new bicycle is leaned up against the garage door and you decided to open the garage boor with the button in the car instead of the one by the kitchen door. The handlebar pokes a hole in the gas tank and Joe gets the promotion because you're late.

There's more. The kid is late for school and you didn't read the letter from the Principal's office before you ate and forgot about it because you wanted to see the Debate on TV.

The letter told you your kid had had too many tardys and one more was going to get you a warrant. The bicycle is ruined and the kid is late. The police serve the warrant at work because they're like that and Joe gets the promotion.

None of that happened.

You decided to go around the block because you're a busybody and want so see if old man Smith mowed his yard ... he had. But the city has decided to work on the water main leak, but you didn't know because you watched the debate instead of the local news. You can't turn right ... left is a deadened. The simple act of turning around caused the pavement to collapse over the sinkhole from the water leak and now you're dead because you drowned.

That didn't happen either.

Nope, instead you turned left instead of right because you answered your cell phone and got in an argument with the wife about what the 13 year old wants to wear. There's a horrendous accident on the backroad and ... what do you know ... you're the cause.

Or ... you could be like me. To get from point A to point B, I usually take a ruler and draw a straight line between the two and chart a course driving on roads closest to the line. Only, the road on the map isn't there. Well ... it is ... but it's a access road for a cherry orchard and the way out hasn't been there for years.

Or you've managed to miss the turning because the state can't afford the price of decent sized road signs or the state run ferry doesn't run at night but nobody bothered to tell the map company. You made a bad decision because of faulty information.

Even worse, the crackhead car jacker, who's been hurting for something soothing, to take the edge off, picks your car.

It might not be that drastic. A simple sip of coffee ... just one little sip and you missed the love of a lifetime. Or, one little sip and she's right outside your door and you meet...

There are millions of moments and EVERY single one of them has the potential to change your whole life! Every day occurrences can be lifesavers or life enders.

The Press wasn't happy with the FBI ... The FBI wasn't happy with the Press.

Daddy showed up with a bunch of paperwork, greeted the Agent by name, handed him the paperwork, mostly grabbed Wendy and me by the ear and jerked us over to the Press.

"Ten questions ... We will answer each one once. If it doesn't impinge on National security either Wendy of David will answer. The other ladies were passengers and victims of circumstance."