This is also a Wednesday post masquerading as a Thursday post.  Not sure why I keep missing the big W…I may need to bow to my caprice and make Thursday my post day, instead.  But then I’d be tempted to commit to Tuesday posts, as well, and the only thing you guys would see those nights would be, “Sword-fighting rocked tonight!”  So, we’ll give that some more thought.

And I’ll let that be my segue into tonight’s deep late night thought.  In the movies, shows and books about time travel, the idea that our lives hinge on a single moment is a common theme.  I suppose it’s fascinating to us.  What if we hadn’t taken that wrong turn, so we made it to our friend’s bridal shower?  Would we have met our new boss?  Fell in love with her neighbor out walking his dog?  Skipped the fight that led to avoiding said friend for the next ten years?  It’s especially easy to pinpoint certain moments that didn’t go our way, and fix on them as pivotal.  We all know that ‘if only’ isn’t a highly productive phrase, but most of us have felt the sentiment.

I’m no different, but tonight I’m wondering if life is really that simple.  Most of the consequences we end up living with later in life are the result of repetition, or habits.  Everything from our waistline to our income to the solidarity of our relationships with loved ones come about because of choices that we repeat over and over again.  Even the big zingers, like meeting that special person, are often the result of habit.

You met at the coffee shop/library/friends’ apartment because it was a place you frequented regularly.  There were probably many ‘misses’ that preceded the ‘hit’ in which you connected with that special someone.  Even seemingly random meetings–like bumping into each other at the Atlanta airport–probably have some backing in the probability books.  Do you both travel a lot?  Does one of you frequently visit Atlanta for work and the other has always wanted to visit?  Chances are there are plenty of ‘hits’ that fade into background noise and slip from memory because they were only a momentary encounter in the usual boring way, and never took on the significance of a turning point to the individuals involved.

Not sure that last sentence made sense.

So, am I saying life is all in the fateful cards?  That where we end up in life is a product of our subconscious programing?  Probably not, but if you get your hands on the cards which predict which of my tiny habits I’ll end up regretting, I’d give them a second look.