Past Opportunities

Do you ever feel as if you passed up an opportunity at some point in your life? Maybe an opportunity that you didn't even know existed? An opportunity that was there but you failed to see it? What about that opportunity that you were about to reach but you decided to turn left or turn right or you took a step back and went down a different path? How many opportunities have you passed up in your life? Do you know? What were those opportunities?

I feel like this each and every day of my life. The what if's haunt me on a daily basis. The what could have been's also haunt me every single day of my life. What if I had gone straight forward instead of turning right? Would that have made a difference in my life?

I always ask myself if and how my life today would be different if I hadn't passed up an opportunity that was available to me. Could it have changed my life for the better or could it have made my life worse? I do believe that I am dealing with questions that will never be answered here.

I used to teach in a school district where poverty was the norm for most of the students. While I was working at school one day my vehicle was stolen. I was thankful that whoever took it did it while I was in the building. The what if's in this case really bothered me. What if I would have been walking out to my car just as someone was attempting to steal it? What if I wouldn't have came to work that day? What if the person or persons who stole it came to my residence to "talk" to me? After all, they did have my address in the glove box of the vehicle. That could have happened, right? What if's can and will drive you crazy if you let them.

As a child, I was constantly asking what if questions to my father. I remember before taking a vacation I would ask questions like: What if we have a flat tire? What if we can't find a hotel room? What if our vehicle quits working while we are on the expressway? What if we get lost?

Now as an adult, I know that when vacationing there are countless number of events that could happen. I am always catching myself thinking about how to handle a situation before it even occurs. What will I do if I have a flat tire on the way to work? What will I do if I run out of gas? What will I do if my vehicle won't start? I suppose the one thing that I had never thought about was what I would do if my vehicle were stolen? I have to admit it was mighty strange coming out of work and not seeing my vehicle in the parking lot. I do not want to have that experience ever again!