Deliberations for the common man

Choices. Our life is made up of those unrepeatable events that we are forced to do throughout the day. Some seam so simple as what to eat for lunch, while others are so much more, such as where do I want to go in my life? But really how do we decide between two paths. This is similar to the word trivia which is actually Latin for crossroads. The story goes that in roman times at every fork in the road a signpost would be put up with a piece of information, hence trivia. But if we really examine this, it is really telling us that at every crossroad when we need to make a choice some information will be gained, and some information will not. If we decide between two jobs, we will never know what we have given up and what might have happened. But that is what life is about, choices.

But with choices come responsibility. A child is not allowed to choose what they will eat everyday as a child will choose ice cream and candy which we all know (or have been taught to believe) is not healthy. As adults even though we may not feel ready to make certain decisions however we must, then we must live with the consequences of our decisions. What we eat, how we spend our time, and even who we sleep with. E.S. he made that decision to go off with an ex, that was a conscious decision and reflects on him.

But as we grow we begin to learn from past mistakes and hopefully make better decisions. I truly chose my alma matte based on its meal plan and its high speed network, two things that were the most important things to a 17 year old. As a 25 year old I haven’t stopped kicking myself. C.F. not working out of college while looking for the perfect or decent job might seem regretful now, but it seemed reasonable at the time. Spending your time focusing on job searches seemed appropriate, now you have seen more of the world and maybe chosen a little differently. You are smarter for it, may we all strive to gain the insight that you have gained.

So there lies the mantra. It is not in any one decision that makes or breaks our life. I refuse to believe that one choice, one decision, one action can truly and irrevocably change our life (with the exception of one terrible game of gambling I might add). It is rather the ability to make those decisions, and how we make them that define who we are and where we are going. Compare those that think 10 steps ahead versus those thinking of immediate gratification. So may we all think a little harder when making every decision from what to eat for lunch (I think I will pass on the Super Size, thank you), to who we will sleep with on that crazy night out on the town.

On a separate note, my family has all flown home (thank you for allowing me the privilege of driving you to the airport at 5:15am on a Sunday), however it was an outstanding weekend filled with intrigue and adventure. This of course depends dramatically how you define adventure, most consider my driving to be an adventure in and of itself. With tours of Golden Gate park, and most especially the Conservatory (which has recently been reopened after the great wind storm of ’95), lunch at a traditional Chinese restaurant with a roasted pig hanging in the window, and 5 hours of West Wing episodes on DVD, a good weekend was had by all. Plus the 50+ high school cheerleaders staying at my grandparent’s hotel led to numerous jokes and laughs.

Until next time, have a good night.