There is one moment in life that we all wish we could change. One opportunity that we missed that we wish we could redo. This one moment could change the path that we have taken because of the time travel paradox. If we were to change one second of anything in our past, then that would alter our future significantly.

My one moment is not any different. It is full of regret for not taking the opportunity and for not recognizing that it was a moment until now. I constantly think back to this one moment in anguish and curiosity for the what if. What if – that is the lifelong question we ask ourselves for the possibilities of any event or situation. The what if clouds my mind in the present and I think about the future based on the perspective of the what if from the past.

Chapter 1

The Introduction of Moments

There is one moment in life that we all wish we could change. One opportunity that we missed that we wish we could redo. This one moment could change the path that we have taken. 

My one moment is not any different. It is full of regret for not taking the opportunity and for not recognizing that it was  a moment until now. I constantly think back to this one moment in anguish and curiosity for the what-if. What-if? That is the lifelong question we ask ourselves for the possibilities of any event or situation. The what-if clouds my mind in the present and I begin to think about the future based on the perspective of the what-if from the past.

Life is curious, curious enough to explore. Exploring in my mind that is – we live for moments in our life that makes sense, but none of it makes any sense. Life is full of disappointments one right after another in a never ending loop. Or is it a loop? Is it a never ending line that just keeps continuing in a straight line? Does it really matter? I think about the life I have lived, and yes – there are happy little moments but that is just it – a little. Just a small handful of happy moments to get you through life where as most of my life can be seen as depressing, sad, and try to forget, but I can’t, moments of shame and embarrassment. 

Life has a multitude of beautiful moments just waiting for us to experience. Each moment is created through a series of opportunities and choices that we make each and every day. 

Chapter 2

The Leading Moment

The one moment in my life, is one that will forever live in infamy. It was day that still haunts my dreams during the day as it does the night. The thought of this one dreadful day, rushes through my mind like a flood, it’s a suffocating feeling. The feeling of drowning in my own thoughts about what I could have done or not done differently.

The day was a blissful Friday night, as it would customarily be for such an occasion. This Friday night was just like any other Friday night gathering, full of family-friends for an event that can only be referenced as Fx4. The name seemed simpler to those that have had the pleasure of attending. It did not take a whole lot of creativity to come up with Friday Fellowship For Friends. It did not need to be creative because that was not the objective to the group. We all needed this group for our own reasons.

I descend the flight of stairs, as I reached the final step of the basement, I could sense that she is just around the corner – standing and waiting for me to come around………But before I take the last step……..I take a moment to think……….what-if?

Chapter 3

The Possibility of Moments

What-If? ……….I constantly think back to this one moment in anguish and curiosity for the what-if. What are the many outcomes to the reality that I face. As I saw it, there was only 1 of 6 ways that the situation, I was facing, could have gone. I now think about the possibilities of each situation and how I would have acted when I was still at that young early high school age.

I saw two possibilities in my one moment. The first possibility is that she says yes. If she does say yes, then there are two subcategories of possibilities.

1. We go on a date, the date goes well and we continue to date each other throughout High School and College.
   1. We eventually get married and have kids
   2. We break up; either before, during, or after college. There is heartbreak and pain.
2. The date does not go well. The relationship ends before it even starts. Things get awkward and we can’t see each other in the same room or hang out ever again.

The second possibility is that she says no. ‘No’ is a strong word that no-one wants to hear. 

1. We remain friends, but the situation makes things even more awkward – I still have feelings but she does not and we both know it.
2. We are unable to be friends and can not see each other at any friend-group events. Too awkward to be in the same room. I still like her but she does not feel the same way – there’s resentment.

The conclusion to my finding were pretty straight forward with simple basic math in my mind. I had 1 of 6 ways, a 16% chance, that things go well and we end up together, but I had a much higher 83% chance for failure with heartbreak, pain, and/or resentment. I had six ways, in which this situation could have progressed. Six opportunities that I could have missed. The question was which of the six paths was I destined to endure. Which path did I choose? Failure or missed opportunity?

You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. Take the Chance and push away the feeling a rejection because rejection happens in life, but not always and its better to take a chance for something to happen rather than avoiding possible rejection.