Decisions

Decisions

I'd like to congratulate those of you who are reading these lines. Why, you might ask? Why am I being congratulated? What have I done that's so remarkable?

The reason I'm bestowing congratulations on you is because you've made a gigantic number of correct decisions before arriving at this particular moment in time. Life affirming decisions. Everything from deciding not to take a job on a high floor of the World Trade Center in 2001 to not making a left turn in front of that speeding Mack truck back in '74. Lots of good decisions. All of them resulting in your being where you are right now, heart beating, breathing and reading these ageless words. Maybe your being here was a result of something as simple as deciding to go to the doctor after you stepped on that rusty nail a while back. Or as complicated as carrying around aspirin in your car in case of heart attack. Or not petting that friendly-looking dog back when you were 8 years old. Lots and lots of decisions. Actually, everyone you see in your daily life is the result of a myriad of correct decisions.

When it comes right down to it, all our lives are nothing but series of decisions, which, when added together, all constitute the fabric of your life. Your decision to marry (or not) that guy (or girl) at that time. Your decision to work at this or that particular place, to vacation at this or that place, to eat pizza instead of green, leafy vegetables. To choose life rather than the alternative.

Some would call it a Darwinian selection process and I'd agree with them.

You can actually graph these decisions if you're of a scientific bent. It's called a decision tree chart. And as you travel down your time line, you will reach forks in the road where there are two choices confronting you, choice “A” and choice “B”. By choosing one you negate the results of the other fork. And, by doing so you open up a world of possibilities that result from your decision. What's interesting is that there are only two decisions to make at each decision tree branch. You might think that there would be multiple branching occasionally, like picking one restaurant from a group of others to go to for dinner. But what you actually do is examine each choice and compare it to the group of the other ones. Two decisions. If you choose not to dine at that first restaurant, you discard it, then examine one of the others and compare it to the group left. Still two decisions.

You're making a bunch of decisions even as you read this, don't you know. Do I continue reading this fascinating narrative? Do I finish this now or squirrel it away for later savoring? Is my opinion of this author enhanced by this piece or diminished? Do I agree with him? Or disagree?

Choices. Decisions. Options.

I started thinking about this topic while listening to an old song recently. I'd taken a lot of CD's that I'd created from some old vinyl records I've collected over the years and had ripped them to my computer as MP3 files. While doing this, I sampled some of the tunes that were being moved from one place to the other. And up popped one of my favorite singers from years ago - Cat Stevens. I have two of his albums - “Teaser and the Firecat” and “Tea for the Tillerman”. I like them. He speaks to me in some of his songs.

And I thought about decisions...

Cat Stevens converted to Islam at the height of his popularity in '77 and adopted a Muslim name of Yusuf Islam. Two years later he auctioned off all his guitars to charity and began devoting his life to philanthropic and educational causes in the Muslim community. He continued that life path for 28 years until '06, when he returned to pop music under the name Yusuf and released a new album entitled “An Other Cup”. I must check it out.

He made a decision all those years ago. For whatever reason, and I'm not going into the religious aspects of it, he chose a path that probably wasn't apparent to most of us. A path that most of us would probably not have chosen. A dramatic, life changing decision.

And that train of thought led me into an examination of the decision trees and choices we all make. And that I have made.

I think most of us, if we're being candid, can look back and point to choices that we've made that were, shall I say, less than optimal. Downright awful, probably. Decisions that sometimes wake us up at night shaking our heads and ruing our dunderheadedness. And, as counterpoint, most of us can also point to decisions that were absolutely, dead-on perfect. And, if we're anything close to normal, our super bad and super good decisions usually are close in number.

And who of us hasn't played the “if only...” game. I know I have.

If I'd only stayed in the military. I'd have retired at age 38.

If I'd only waited after college to get the RIGHT job, not the one that was available at the time. I'd be lots richer.

If I'd only worked harder at my career choice and became an executive with all the salary and perks. I'd be more satisfied with my life.

If I'd only... If I'd only... If I'd only...

But I didn't. My decision trees pointed the other way. And they have made me the man I am today. Happy about some stuff. Sad about other stuff.

Pretty much normal.

Or at least I'd like to think so. Of course that brings into question the concept of normality.

I think I'll save that for another piece.

Are you still with me, consistent reader? Have your decisions allowed you to gain this spot?

Congratulations (again).

So where does this mind game lead us?

Only that you ALWAYS have decisions to make, daily, hourly, every minute. And those choices will weave the tapestry of the rest of your life.

So choose well, my friend. Choose well.