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Life-changing Minutes

Updated on January 1, 2012
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If you knew you only had ten minutes to live, what would you regret most about the choices you made, and, if you had the opportunity, what would you do to correct those mistakes?

Every day we have to make choices. What to wear to work, what to fix the kids for dinner, what route to take home from work, what to write, what to say to the , do, think. Some of those choices we make can affect the rest of our lives as evidenced in the short story below. It’s purpose is to show us all the impact our choices have and what would change if the reasons for those choices were altered.

Ten Minutes

He was going to die. As he faced the gun pointed at his face, he recounted his life. The many days he’d spent working until all hours of the night and grabbing a few hours of sleep only to begin it all over again the following morning were now all wasted. He should have read a book to his kids, played with the dog, and spent much more time with his wife. Had he even told her he loved her this morning before he’d left for work? He couldn’t remember.

Sweat ran down his back as he knelt on the cracked pavement, arms up in the air. Should he beg? Plead with the man who now controlled his destiny? Would it serve any useful purpose other than to give his killer a sick sense of pleasure? No, he wouldn’t plead for the life he was about to leave behind, but he would for the life he now wanted.

Before the words could leave his mouth, he heard the sound of sirens in the distance. His shoulders sagged with relief. The potential killer tensed, looked over his shoulder, and for a moment, he thought he would still die that day. He closed his eyes. Waiting. Praying. Holding his breath until retreating footsteps offered a hint of hope.

He opened his eyes, finding himself alone. Tears streamed down his face. A quick look at his watch told him only ten minutes had passed since he’d come face to face with the gun.

Ten life-changing minutes.

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