My brother generously bought me a book for my birthday. He knows I love to read and he thought I would enjoy "Worlds That Weren't", a collection of four stories by alternative history writers. I like this genre of books. The authors take a look at how things might've been. What if the South had won the American Civil War? What if the British had put down the American Revolution? What if Lincoln had lost his presidential election in 1860? What if Einstein had ended up pumping gas instead of making some of the most important scientific discoveries in history? What if Hitler had not decided to open up a Russian front? What if Native American tribes had won the battles of the West? The "what ifs" are endless, and examining them helps me better understand the significance of what really DID happen.

What if you'd dropped out of school? Married your high school sweetheart instead of that bad boy that turned your head? Decided to have children? Took that year in Europe that you dreamed about? Went to law school? Used a condom that night? Had really NOT had sex with that woman? Had that threesome when you had the chance? Gotten divorced when you really wanted to? Not gotten divorced and tried to work it out? Not had that fight with your brother? Said you were sorry instead of letting pride stand in the way?

Its not unnatural to apply the same thing to our own lives is it? For fun, I thought I would write a few alternative history vignettes myself. The first part of each is true. The second part examines the alternative history that couldn't resulted with a different circumstance or situtation.

Scenario: Brian dropped out of college for a year in early 1980's. He was burnt out and tired of being broke all the time. He went to work with a friend and spent months installing a new sprinkler system on a golf course in western Oklahoma. After that year he couldn't wait to go back to school and finish his degree. What if he hadn't?

Brian has now been working in construction for over 20 years. He's smart enough to get fairly good at his trade. He can run heavy machinery and is adept in other aspects of his work. He lost one finger and part of another one in an accident some years back. His work buddies always roll their eyes when he tells them that he once wanted to be a teacher. He stimulates his intellect by reading books. He hates getting up and going to work in the mornings. Its not the hard work he minds. Its that he always knew he wasn't really cut out for this. Its honorable work, but its not for him. Now he's trapped. He has a mortgage and a family to support. He drinks too much and lashes out angrily, feeling that life is just passing him by.


Scenario: Brian and his first wife tried everything to conceive a child. Extensive medical testing revealed blocked Fallopian tubes. Surgery failed to correct the problem. They decided to adopt instead. What if the surgery had been successful?

Brian is the father of two children, both boys. Its a struggle raising Jonathan and Brian Jr., but he enjoys his children and loves both of the boys very much. If they'd had a girl they were going to name her Aubree, but it never happened and they decided to stop after two boys. The boys stayed with him after their divorce. There's this cute little girl named Cassie with beautiful eyes that is in his son's 5th grade class. She is always polite and respectful to him, is a stellar student, plays soccer, and is a talented performer. If he'd had a daughter, he would want one like her. He knows she is adopted and thinks her parents are lucky to have a girl like her. In his other son's school there is a blonde haired boy named Brett. He's also adopted, is autistic, and obviously has some problems at school. But he is so friendly, lovable, and creative. Brian is always drawn to talking to him at school events and is fascinated by the way his mind seems to work.

Scenario: Brian meets a woman on the internet in 1996. He's going through a divorce and feels lonely. He begins talking to this woman, connects with her, meets her, and marries her about a year and a half after their first chat. He quits his job in his hometown, packs up his kids, and moves out of state for the first time in his life to be with her and begin life anew.

Brian is the assistant superintendent of schools in his hometown school system. He's been a principal for years and now has a job in the central office. He misses the day-to-day contact with kids but enjoys the opportunity to influence the entire district. Its been hard, but he finally has finished his doctorate. He didn't think he'd ever get that damn dissertation done. The kids have spent their entire lives here in this town. He still lives at his little house on Hickory Street. The garage has been turned into a workshop, and he and Patrick spend hours out there working on projects. His book collection numbers in the thousands. Brian hasn't experienced hot Louisiana summers or cool Washington ones. He's never been to a Mardi Gras parade, camped on Mount Rainier, or dipped his toes in the ocean. He never remarried, is a respectable member of the community, serves on several boards, and lectures at conferences on technology, curriculum, and other school issues.

Scenario: Brian majored in math and computer science until his sophomore year of college. He'd wanted to be a teacher, but others had told him that he shouldn't. There's no money in it. A smart guy shouldn't waste his talents working in a thankless job for no money. At the end of his sophomore year he gave into that still small voice in his ear and switched his major. What if he hadn't?

Brian is a programmer working for a Fortune 500 company. He makes a very good salary, vacations in the Caribbean and hits Las Vegas a couple of times a year. He's good at what he does. He's been fascinated by computers since working on the huge mainframes at his dad's company. He loves the challenge of programming and enjoys seeing the finished product. He likes his job but something seems to be missing. He spend most of his time in front of his monitor at work. He enjoys his colleagues at work and loves working together to solve a problem. But every day on the way home he drives by a school. He sees kids on the playground or walking down the sidewalk with books in their hand. Not a day goes by when he doesn't wonder if he did the right thing.

What could've been. What wasn't. All of our lives could've had many different stories. Maybe better. Maybe worse. Who's to say? We make our choices. We deal with circumstances as they present themselves. We live with the consequences.

This is not to say that we should spend our life saying "what if?". We shouldn't, and many do too much of it. But the choices we make, why we make them, how we make them, and the consequences that fall from them? They teach us much about ourselves.

I'm writing my own history right now. I wonder what alternative histories I'll have to ponder twenty years from now?
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